AFCON hosts Morocco, and five-time champions Cameroon have secured their places in the last eight.
In front of an energetic home crowd in Rabat, Morocco was made to work for their quarterfinal ticket. Despite dominating possession, the Atlas Lions struggled to break down a disciplined Tanzanian defense.
The breakthrough finally came in the 64th minute when Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz found a pocket of space and fired home the only goal of the game, securing a tense 1-0 victory.
Earlier on Sunday, Cameroon displayed their tournament pedigree with a 2-1 win over South Africa.
The Indomitable Lions took control with goals from Junior Tchamadeu in the first half and a header from teenage sensation Christian Kofane just after the break.
South Africa threatened a comeback when Evidence Makgopa pulled one back in the 88th minute, but Cameroon’s defense, marshaled by goalkeeper Devis Epassy, held firm to seal the win.
The Sunday qualifiers join Senegal and Mali, who navigated contrasting paths to the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Defending champions Senegal were stunned early by a goal from Sudan’s Aamir Abdallah but roared back to win 3-1.
Midfielder Pape Gueye was the hero for the Teranga Lions, netting a brace before halftime, with 17-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye sealing the victory late in the second half.
Meanwhile, Mali produced the tournament's grittiest performance so far. Reduced to ten men in the 26th minute, the Eagles fought back from a goal down to equalize in stoppage time via a Lassine Sinayoko penalty, making it 1-1.
They eventually triumphed 3-2 on penalties, with goalkeeper Djigui Diarra making two crucial saves.
The results set up two mouth-watering quarterfinal ties for this Friday, January 9:
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Senegal vs. Mali: A fierce West African derby in Tangier.
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Morocco vs. Cameroon: A clash of historical heavyweights in Rabat.
With four of the continent's strongest teams now locked into the bracket, the battle for the African crown has truly begun.
