Ayoub El Kaabi struck twice to lead hosts Morocco to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Zambia on Monday, sealing qualification for the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as group winners.
Playing in front of a packed crowd of over 62,000 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, the Olympiakos forward scored once in each half. Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz added the other goal, continuing his fine form by scoring for the third consecutive match.
Morocco completed the group stage unbeaten with two wins and a draw, finishing top of Group A with seven points. Mali placed second after a third straight draw, this time a goalless result against Comoros.
As group winners, Walid Regragui’s side will remain in Rabat for their round-of-16 match on Sunday, January 4, where they will face one of the best third-placed teams.
It was a positive night for the hosts, who also welcomed back captain Achraf Hakimi. The African Player of the Year made his first appearance of the tournament as a second-half substitute after recovering from an ankle injury sustained while playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
Morocco responded strongly after their previous 1-1 draw with Mali, which ended their long winning streak. From the opening minutes, the Atlas Lions dominated a Zambian side that needed a win to guarantee qualification.
The opening goal arrived in the ninth minute. A short corner found Azzedine Ounahi, who delivered a precise ball to the far post where El Kaabi headed home.
Morocco doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark following an excellent team move. Ounahi split the Zambian defence with a clever pass to Abde Ezzalzouli, whose low cross was finished by Diaz after El Kaabi narrowly missed the ball.
Six minutes into the second half, El Kaabi grabbed his second goal. He timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and finished with an overhead kick from another Ounahi assist. The goal was initially ruled out but later confirmed after a VAR review.
That strike took El Kaabi to three goals in the tournament, placing him alongside Diaz and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez among the top scorers.
The crowd erupted in the 64th minute when Hakimi came on for Noussair Mazraoui. The full-back nearly marked his return with a goal but was denied by a fine save late in the game.
Morocco will now look to build on this strong group-stage performance as they chase continental glory on home soil.
