Just six minutes into the encounter, Morocco hit the front when Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi found the net in a crowded 18-yard area, to open the scoring.
Amrabat’s nation had the majority of the ball and the chances in the first half, but did not have it all their own way, and conceded a penalty to their opponents shortly before the break, after a VAR review had awarded a spot-kick for handball. Galatasaray forward Cedric Bakambu stepped up but could only drag his strike onto the post and wide.
Both sides had good opportunities to add to what therefore remained a one-goal scoreline in the second half, and it was DR Congo who dealt an impactful hit-back blow. Shortly after his introduction from the bench, Silas, who plays his club football for Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart, finished off a swift break forward to level matters at 1-1 late on.
In a game in which a minimum combined total of 18 minutes was added on at the end of the two halves, both sides looked as if they had given everything, in high temperatures, as the contest came to a close.
