Morocco booked their place in the Round of 16 at AFCON 2025 with a dominant 3-0 victory over Zambia in their final Group A match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The hosts started on the front foot and were rewarded early, as Ayoub El Kaabi headed Morocco into the lead in the 10th minute following a well-worked corner involving Abde Ezzalzouli and Azzedine Ounahi.
Ezzalzouli remained a constant threat, while Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza was kept busy.
Morocco doubled their advantage in the 27th minute when Diaz calmly finished from close range after another Ezzalzouli cut-back, making him one of the standout performers of the group stage. Zambia struggled to cope with Morocco’s tempo and quality, and the hosts went into halftime firmly in control.
Five minutes after the restart, El Kaabi struck again in spectacular style, executing an acrobatic bicycle kick to score his second goal and seal the contest. Morocco continued to dominate, with returning star Achraf Hakimi receiving a warm ovation and nearly adding a fourth late on.
The result sees Morocco finish top of Group A with seven points, while Zambia exit the tournament with two points. Morocco now move confidently into the knockout rounds, buoyed by a commanding performance and El Kaabi’s clinical finishing.
