Tanzania and Tunisia have both secured qualification to the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after sharing a 1-1 draw in their final Group C match in Rabat.
Tunisia took the lead shortly before the break when Ismael Gharbi calmly converted a penalty in the 43rd minute. The decision was made after a VAR review, with the referee judging that Hazem Mastouri had been fouled while trying to reach a free-kick delivery.
Earlier in the game, Gharbi had already threatened Tanzania’s defence, striking the post and nearly catching goalkeeper Hussein Masalanga off his line with a long-range effort.
Tanzania responded strongly in the second half and got their equaliser just three minutes after the restart. Feisal Salum fired in a low shot from outside the box, with the ball sneaking inside the post to make it 1-1.
Both teams struggled to create clear chances after that. Tanzania came closest to scoring again when Simon Msuva headed a corner into the side netting, but neither side found a winning goal.
The result was enough to see Tunisia finish second in the group behind Nigeria, while Tanzania progressed as one of the four best third-placed teams, edging out Angola on goals scored.
This marks a historic achievement for Tanzania, who have reached the Afcon knockout stage for the first time in their fourth appearance at the finals. They also became the first team to advance from the group stage with just two points since the tournament was expanded to 24 teams in 2019.
Tunisia will now face Mali in Casablanca on Saturday, January 3, while Tanzania remain in Rabat to take on host nation Morocco the following day.
Despite progressing, Tunisia’s performance drew criticism from their supporters, as they failed to beat a side ranked far below them. For Tanzania, however, the draw was celebrated as a major milestone in the country’s football history.
