Morocco booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 with a dominant 3-0 win
over Zambia in Rabat, securing qualification for a fifth straight tournament.
The Atlas Lions set the tone early as Ayoub El Kaabi opened the scoring inside nine minutes,
converting Azzedine Ounahi’s teasing delivery.
Morocco doubled their advantage midway through the first half when Brahim Diaz arrived late
in the box to finish Abde Ezzalzouli’s cutback, taking his tournament tally to three.
Any lingering doubt was removed shortly after the restart as El Kaabi struck again, this time with
an acrobatic overhead kick that stood after a VAR review confirmed he was onside.
With the contest effectively settled, Walid Regragui rotated his squad, allowing Morocco to
manage the game comfortably to the final whistle.
The result guarantees Morocco a place in the knockouts, where they will face one of the best
third-placed teams, while Zambia exit the tournament bottom of the group with two points.
Morocco Cruise Past Zambia to Seal AFCON Last-16 Spot
