Ayoub El Kaabi (L) celebrates with Brahim Diaz after scoring his second aim and Morocco’s third of their win over Zambia on the Africa Cup of Nations. Photograph: AFP
RABAT:
Ayoub El Kaabi scored twice as hosts Morocco eased to a 3-0 victory over Zambia on the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday to safe progress to the final 16 as winners of their group.
The Olympiakos striker netted in every half in entrance of 62,532 followers within the capital Rabat, whereas Actual Madrid’s Brahim Diaz acquired the opposite aim as he scored for the third match working on the event.
Morocco end the primary spherical with two wins and a draw, permitting them to progress from Group A in first place with seven factors. Mali completed second after a 3rd straight draw, 0-0 in opposition to Comoros in a sport they ended with 10 males, whereas Zambia exit.
Walid Regragui’s Moroccan aspect will subsequently have the benefit of staying in Rabat for a last-16 conflict in opposition to the most effective third-placed finishers on Sunday, January 4.
“I feel the competitors actually begins now,” stated Regragui.
“When you’ve gotten 4 third-placed groups going via, I do not suppose you may name the primary spherical a warm-up lap however for us it simply makes it about making an attempt to verify we get via to the following stage in the absolute best form.
“Hopefully we’ll go so far as potential. That’s the dream for all of us.”
A snug night for the host nation additionally noticed captain Achraf Hakimi, the African participant of the yr, come on as a second-half substitute for his first look since struggling an ankle damage with Paris Saint-Germain in early November.
The Atlas Lions had seen their world document 19-match successful run come to an finish in a 1-1 draw with Mali final trip, however bounced again from that by outclassing their Zambian opponents.
Morocco are Africa’s finest aspect based on the FIFA rankings and lie 80 locations above Zambia who’re 91st. Their document successful run included victories dwelling and away in opposition to the Copper Bullets throughout World Cup qualifying.
Hakimi comeback
The guests have been additionally within the unenviable place of needing to win their final group sport to make certain of going via to the knockout part — a troublesome job for a rustic with no single AFCON victory since lifting the trophy in 2012.
Morocco went forward with simply 9 minutes on the clock when a nook from the fitting was performed brief to Azzedine Ounahi and he clipped a first-time ball to the again publish the place El Kaabi nodded in earlier than working away overlaying his face in celebration.
An excellent transfer led to the second aim simply earlier than the half-hour mark, with Ounahi’s incredible cross in behind the Zambian defence releasing Abde Ezzalzouli. His low ball in from the left was missed by El Kaabi however Diaz swept dwelling for a 3rd aim in as many matches.
Morocco made it 3-0 six minutes after half-time as El Kaabi escaped the Zambian offside entice and met one other help from the sensible Ounahi with an overhead kick.
The aim was initially dominated out for offside earlier than being awarded after a VAR test, permitting El Kaabi to hitch Diaz and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez on three targets atop the AFCON scorers’ chart.
An enormous cheer then greeted Hakimi when he got here on within the sixty fourth minute rather than Noussair Mazraoui for his first look of the event — he was solely prevented from getting on the scoresheet by Willard Mwanza save late on.
