Morocco is in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations after a comfortable win against Zambia. Ayoub El Kaabi was the highlight of the host team.
In the end it was 3-0 (2-0) for the Moroccans, who had struggled in the opening games against the Comoros and most recently against Mali. As group winners, Morocco will now move into the knockout rounds.
Ayoub El Kaabi (9th/50th) with a brace and Brahim Diaz (27th) were the goal scorers for the North Africans. While El Kaabi’s first goal was already nice, the man from Olympiakos Piraeus went one better and scored with an overhead kick to make it 3-0.
Morocco takes an early lead
The host country’s team was unrecognizable compared to the two poor performances against Comoros (2-0) and Mali (1-1). Morocco set a high pace from the start in the well-filled Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat and created many chances. The first ones were used early on.
In the ninth minute, Ayoub El Kaabi headed Morocco into the lead after a beautiful cross from Eddine Ounahi. Almost 20 minutes later, Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz made it 2-0 with a powerful left-footed shot – after good preparatory work from Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, who repeatedly caused danger from the left side. It was Brahim Diaz’s third goal of the tournament.
The Moroccan players celebrate their second goal against Zambia
Second overhead kick from El Kaabi
Zambia, African champions in 2012, made too many mistakes in their build-up to the game and continued to be clearly inferior. Chipolopolo (“the bullets”) were well served with the 0:2 at the break, especially since Morocco had other top-class chances to score.
El Kaabi scored the best goal of the day with his great overhead kick, also his third goal of the tournament and his 32nd international goal overall. Crazy: El Kaabi had already scored with an overhead kick in the opening win against the Comoros.
Hakimi’s tournament debut
After just over an hour, star player Achraf Hakimi, who was named Africa’s Footballer of the Year for the first time in November, celebrated his tournament debut. The Paris St. Germain man almost scored his first goal of the tournament, but Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza had something against it.
The former Dortmund player was rested in the first few games after his ankle injury, which he sustained in the Champions League game against FC Bayern at the beginning of November.