The Moroccan national football team sealed its qualification for the round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after its commanding performance in Group A match against Zambia played on Monday evening at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The Atlas Lions defeated Zambia 3-0, finishing the group stage at the top of the table with 7 points.
The Lions took control from the opening minutes, imposing a high tempo and pinning Zambia deep in their own half.
Their early dominance was rewarded in the 9th minute when Azzedine Ounahi swung in a precise corner and Ayoub El Kaabi rose highest to head home the opener.
Morocco continued to press, with Abde Ezzalzouli and Brahim Diaz causing constant problems between the lines. Diaz doubled the lead in the 27th minute, arriving late in the box to finish calmly with his left foot after a cut back from the left flank.
The first half was largely one sided, with Morocco enjoying nearly 70 percent possession and restricting Zambia to rare, harmless forays forward.
In the 51st minute, Ounahi delivered another pinpoint cross, and El Kaabi produced a spectacular acrobatic overhead kick to make it 3–0. Although the assistant referee initially flagged for offside, a VAR review confirmed the goal, allowing El Kaabi to claim his third goal of the tournament and his second overhead kick of the competition.
Morocco’s dominance was underlined statistically: they recorded 19 shots (nine on target), while Zambia managed just five attempts with none on target.
In the later stages, PSG defender Achraf Hakimi entered the pitch as a second-half substitute, making his first AFCON appearance since recovering from a November injury.
His presence bolstered Morocco’s defense, culminating in key saves in the closing minutes. He tested the Zambian goalkeeper with a free kick and later came close to adding a fourth, while Youssef En Nesyri added physical presence up front.
Zambia attempted to respond late on but were comfortably contained by a well organized Moroccan defense.
In the first and second matchdays, Walid Regragui’s men beat Comoros 2-0 and had a 1-1 draw with Mali.
Besides Morocco, 13 teams have cruised to the round of 16, namely Algeria, Senegal, RD Congo, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Mali, Bénin, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and Sudan.
The two remaining spots will be disputed on December 30 between Tunisia, Angola, Tanzania, and Ouganda which are still in the race to cruise to the round of 16.
Morocco’s next challenge comes on January 4, when they face one of the third-placed teams from Groups C or D, all while maintaining home-field advantage in Rabat.
