After a scare, Morocco, the host of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), has finally qualified for the round of 16, and in style. On Monday, December 29, the Atlas Lions dominated Zambia in their third group stage match at the Prince Moulay-Abdellah Stadium in Rabat (3-0).
Following a victory over Mali (2-0) in their opening match, the Moroccans had then drawn with Comoros on Friday (1-1). That underperformance earned them jeers from a section of their own fans during the match. But against Zambia, the perfect start by manager Walid Regragui’s men allowed them to quickly reconnect with the over 60,000 supporters present, who were this time in jubilation. Within the first minutes, Ayoub El-Kaabi opened the scoring (9th), followed by Brahim Diaz, finishing off a fine team move (27th), rewarding a one-sided first half.
The second half began on the same note. Pinned back in their defense and completely overwhelmed, the Zambians could not avoid a third goal, scored again by Ayoub El-Kaabi. The 32-year-old striker, highly prominent since the start of the tournament, produced a sublime acrobatic overhead kick, a move he had already executed against Comoros on December 21 (2-0).
On the hour mark, Hakim Ziyech, due to a left ankle injury, came on as a substitute. His return, cheered by the crowd, capped off a fully successful evening for the Atlas Lions and arrived at just the right time for Morocco, who finish top of Group A and are through to the knockout stages.
Finishing second in the group, Mali, who faced Comoros at the same time, also secured their qualification. Dominant but unable to score, the Eagles played to a third draw (0-0), which however did not compromise their future in the tournament. Zambia, ranked last, is eliminated, while the Comoros national team (3rd, 2 points) finds itself in an unfavorable position, awaiting other results.
South Africa Eliminates Zimbabwe
Sporting logic was also respected in Group B, where the two favorites – both teams also qualified for the 2026 World Cup – progressed past the first round. Under the watch of the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), South Africa defeated Zimbabwe (3-2).
At the end of a disjointed match, striker Oswin Appollis scored the winning third goal from a penalty (82nd), a few minutes after Zimbabwe’s second equalizer, which came from an own goal by defender Aubrey Modiba (73rd, 2-2).
Early in the second half, Lyle Foster had restored South Africa’s lead by capitalizing on a poor clearance from defender Divine Lunga (50th, 2-1). In the first half, South Africa opened the scoring with a controlled shot from Tshepang Moremi (8th, 1-0), before Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Maswanhise equalized with a fine burst of pace through the opposition defense (19th, 1-1).
In their sixth participation, Zimbabwe’s Warriors have still not managed to progress past the first round. Winners of AFCON in 1996, South Africa can hope to repeat their fine run from the previous edition, where they finished in third place.
Missed Opportunities for Angola
Already qualified, the Egyptians did not shine against Angola, but they secured the essential by taking top spot in their group with 7 points. With a reshuffled team and star striker Mohamed Salah on the bench, the Pharaohs settled for a draw (0-0) against the side coached by Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle.
Finalists in 2017 and 2021, the Egyptians, holders of the record for Africa Cup of Nations titles (seven wins since 1957), have not lifted the trophy since 2010.
Unfortunate Angola, who absolutely needed a victory to be certain of being among the four best third-placed teams and thus continue their adventure in the competition, missed several clear chances to win: a one-on-one missed by Chico Banza or a free-kick off the post by Fredy. They will have to wait until tomorrow for the results of Group C – Tanzania vs. Tunisia and Uganda vs. Nigeria – to know if they qualify for the round of 16.