Mali Coach Santfiet: "Referee Denied Us Penalty; We Wanted to Win Against Morocco"

Mali national team coach Tom Saintfiet expressed satisfaction with his players' performance in their 1-1 draw against Morocco in the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations "Morocco 2025".

Speaking to beIN Sports after the match, the Belgian coach stated: "I am very satisfied with my team's performance, but as the match drew to a close, we aimed for three points. I believe we should have been awarded a penalty for a handball, but the referee did not consult VAR. We executed our strategy effectively, having thoroughly analyzed Morocco's performance and studied their strengths and weaknesses."

It is worth noting that the Moroccan national team currently tops Group A with four points. A draw in their final group stage match against Zambia on Monday at 20:00 GMT+1 will secure their qualification as group winners.