5 min readJun 14, 2026 09:14 AM IST By Shuvaditya Bose Between receiving Noussair Mazraoui’s pass and laying the ball for Ismael Saibari, Brahim Diaz had little more than two seconds. It was still enough for a precise three-part act. First came the cushioned touch with his right foot. Then two sharp adjustments with his left, taken before Lucas Paqueta and Douglas Santos could close him down. Finally, the pass, threaded between Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos, with just enough pace to send Saibari through on Alisson Becker’s goal. The pass sent Saibari through and Morocco had their goal in the 21st minute. Six months earlier, he had been afforded far more time to make an even bigger impact. Too much time, perhaps. From when he was brought down inside the box at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal to eventually taking the resultant penalty kick, Diaz had fifteen minutes. In those fifteen minutes, he saw the opposition coach, Pape Thiaw, taking his players off the field in a symbolic gesture of protest, …