Gaoussou Diarra came off the bench to score a superb volley as Mali held Morocco to a 1-1 draw in their friendly at the Grand Stade de Tanger.
The Feyenoord winger made an immediate impact after being introduced in the 65th minute, cancelling out Abdessamad Ezzalzouli’s first-half penalty with a powerful finish beneath the crossbar.
Morocco had originally been scheduled to play Ghana, but the Ghanaians withdrew from the fixture. Mali were brought in as their replacements for the match in Tangier.
Morocco included Ismael Saibari and Anass Salah-Eddine, who currently plays for Panathinaikos, in their starting line-up. Abdellah Ouazane of Ajax and Feyenoord midfielder Oussama Targhalline began the game among the substitutes.
The hosts took control of the match and went ahead after just over half an hour. Ezzalzouli was brought down inside the penalty area and took responsibility for the resulting spot-kick.
The Real Betis forward sent the goalkeeper the wrong way with a precise effort to put Morocco 1-0 ahead.
Morocco continued to dominate possession and territory at the Grand Stade de Tanger, but Mali found a way back into the contest through Diarra.
The winger had been left unmarked when Mali won a free-kick from distance. He met the delivery first time, striking a clean volley that flew into the roof of the net to make it 1-1.
Diarra has scored once for Feyenoord this season, and his performance for Mali offered another indication of his attacking potential. His goal also changed the momentum of a match Morocco had controlled for long periods.
Both sides created further opportunities during the closing stages, but neither could find a winning goal and the friendly ended level.
The draw meant the contribution of the Eredivisie-based players remained limited overall. Targhalline and Ouazane did not leave the bench, while Diarra was the only one of the three to make a decisive impact.