Five games, five goals. The Real Madrid midfielder has just written AFCON history against Cameroon. But does anyone in the Spanish capital even care?
There’s something poetic about watching a player flourish thousands of kilometers away from the club that barely gives him minutes. Brahim Díaz stood in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Friday night, arms raised, 64,000 voices chanting his name, and somewhere in Madrid, you have to wonder if anyone at Valdebebas even noticed.
Morocco dismantled Cameroon 2-0. The scoreline looks comfortable. It wasn’t, not really. But Díaz made it feel inevitable.
The record no one can take away
Five games. Five goals. In five consecutive AFCON matches. According to Opta, no player has ever done this in the tournament’s history. Not Ndaye Mulamba with DR Congo in 1974. Not Gedo with Egypt in 2010. Not even Vincent Aboubakar, who tore through the 2022 edition for Cameroon.
They scored five goals in single tournaments, sure. But never in consecutive matches.
Díaz has redefined what Moroccan attacking play looks like. The goal against Cameroon came in the 26th minute—Achraf Hakimi’s corner, Ayoub El Kaabi’s flick-on, and the Real Madrid man reacting faster than anyone in the box. Instinct. Pure instinct.
“We’re not hiding anything. We’re the favourites,” head coach Walid Regragui had said before the tournament. “The country who will find it hardest to win the AFCON is Morocco, because any other result, and they’ll say we’ve failed.”
They haven’t failed yet. Not even close.
A tale of two careers
Here’s the uncomfortable truth. In 211 minutes at AFCON 2025, Díaz has scored more goals than in his entire season with Real Madrid. At the Bernabéu, he has one goal in 484 minutes under Xabi Alonso. One.
The numbers are almost absurd when you line them up. With Morocco, he demands the ball, makes runs, orchestrates attacks. With Madrid, he waits. And waits. And watches Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo occupy the spaces he was born to fill.
There’s a question that keeps coming up in Spanish football circles. Does Xabi Alonso even know what he has on his hands? The AFCON is screaming the answer.
Cameroon had no answers
Marc Brys’ side arrived in Rabat with history on their side. The Indomitable Lions had never lost to Morocco at an AFCON finals—two wins and a draw across previous meetings. That stat died on Friday.
They tried. Bryan Mbeumo had a strong penalty shout waved away by Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou headed wide when the goal seemed easier to hit. But Yassine Bounou wasn’t troubled. Not once. Morocco have still not conceded a goal from open play in this tournament.
Ismaël Saibari killed the game in the 74th minute. A corner, a flick from Nayef Aguerd, and the PSV Eindhoven winger unmarked at the back post. Clinical. Cold.
For Cameroon, the exit was painful. No World Cup 2026. No more major tournaments until AFCON 2027. The internal chaos between Samuel Eto’o and the federation continues to bubble. Brys may not survive this.
What comes next
Morocco await the winner of Saturday’s clash between Algeria and Nigeria. Either opponent brings danger. But in Rabat, on Wednesday, with Díaz playing like this—who would bet against them?
This is Morocco’s best AFCON run since 2004, when they reached the final and lost to Tunisia. Fifty years without a continental title. The weight of that drought hangs over everything.
There’s a concern, though. Díaz left the pitch with a heavily strapped thigh. Regragui will be sweating on his fitness before the semi-final.
But if he plays—if he’s anywhere near fit—Morocco will fancy their chances against anyone. Five goals in five games. History rewritten.
Real Madrid might want to start paying attention.
Five games, five goals. The Real Madrid midfielder has just written AFCON history against Cameroon. But does anyone in the Spanish capital even care?
There’s something poetic about watching a player flourish thousands of kilometers away from the club that barely gives him minutes. Brahim Díaz stood in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Friday night, arms raised, 64,000 voices chanting his name, and somewhere in Madrid, you have to wonder if anyone at Valdebebas even noticed.
Morocco dismantled Cameroon 2-0. The scoreline looks comfortable. It wasn’t, not really. But Díaz made it feel inevitable.
The record no one can take away
Five games. Five goals. In five consecutive AFCON matches. According to Opta, no player has ever done this in the tournament’s history. Not Ndaye Mulamba with DR Congo in 1974. Not Gedo with Egypt in 2010. Not even Vincent Aboubakar, who tore through the 2022 edition for Cameroon.
They scored five goals in single tournaments, sure. But never in consecutive matches.
Díaz has redefined what Moroccan attacking play looks like. The goal against Cameroon came in the 26th minute—Achraf Hakimi’s corner, Ayoub El Kaabi’s flick-on, and the Real Madrid man reacting faster than anyone in the box. Instinct. Pure instinct.
“We’re not hiding anything. We’re the favourites,” head coach Walid Regragui had said before the tournament. “The country who will find it hardest to win the AFCON is Morocco, because any other result, and they’ll say we’ve failed.”
They haven’t failed yet. Not even close.
A tale of two careers
Here’s the uncomfortable truth. In 211 minutes at AFCON 2025, Díaz has scored more goals than in his entire season with Real Madrid. At the Bernabéu, he has one goal in 484 minutes under Xabi Alonso. One.
The numbers are almost absurd when you line them up. With Morocco, he demands the ball, makes runs, orchestrates attacks. With Madrid, he waits. And waits. And watches Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo occupy the spaces he was born to fill.
There’s a question that keeps coming up in Spanish football circles. Does Xabi Alonso even know what he has on his hands? The AFCON is screaming the answer.
Cameroon had no answers
Marc Brys’ side arrived in Rabat with history on their side. The Indomitable Lions had never lost to Morocco at an AFCON finals—two wins and a draw across previous meetings. That stat died on Friday.
They tried. Bryan Mbeumo had a strong penalty shout waved away by Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou headed wide when the goal seemed easier to hit. But Yassine Bounou wasn’t troubled. Not once. Morocco have still not conceded a goal from open play in this tournament.
Ismaël Saibari killed the game in the 74th minute. A corner, a flick from Nayef Aguerd, and the PSV Eindhoven winger unmarked at the back post. Clinical. Cold.
For Cameroon, the exit was painful. No World Cup 2026. No more major tournaments until AFCON 2027. The internal chaos between Samuel Eto’o and the federation continues to bubble. Brys may not survive this.
What comes next
Morocco await the winner of Saturday’s clash between Algeria and Nigeria. Either opponent brings danger. But in Rabat, on Wednesday, with Díaz playing like this—who would bet against them?
This is Morocco’s best AFCON run since 2004, when they reached the final and lost to Tunisia. Fifty years without a continental title. The weight of that drought hangs over everything.
There’s a concern, though. Díaz left the pitch with a heavily strapped thigh. Regragui will be sweating on his fitness before the semi-final.
But if he plays—if he’s anywhere near fit—Morocco will fancy their chances against anyone. Five goals in five games. History rewritten.
Real Madrid might want to start paying attention.
