Morocco sealed their place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 with a convincing 3-0 victory over Zambia in their final Group A match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Both sides entered the clash knowing a win would guarantee progression, but it was the hosts who showed greater quality and composure to advance, while Zambia exited the tournament.
Morocco signaled their attacking intent immediately, almost scoring within the first 11 seconds as Diaz surged into the box from the right, only for Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza to intercept his ball towards Abde Ezzalzouli. In the 7th minute, Ezzalzouli again threatened, bursting into the area from the left and firing a powerful effort that Mwanza had to beat away.
The breakthrough arrived in the 10th minute from a well-worked corner routine. Ezzalzouli played the ball short to Azzedine Ounahi, whose clipped cross picked out Ayoub El Kaabi. The Olympiacos striker rose highest to head Morocco into a deserved lead. Ezzalzouli continued to torment the Zambian defence, sending another shot narrowly wide of the post in the 22nd minute.
Morocco doubled their advantage in the 27th minute with a composed finish from Diaz. After Ezzalzouli cut the ball back from the left, Diaz arrived in the box to guide a precise first-time strike into the bottom-left corner, becoming only the second Moroccan player to score in all three group matches. Shortly before the break, Diaz was denied again when Mwanza reacted sharply to beat away his fierce effort in first-half stoppage time.
Zambia made changes at half-time in search of a response, but Morocco continued to dominate. Five minutes into the second half, El Kaabi struck again in spectacular fashion. Timing his run perfectly to beat the offside trap, he met a lofted ball in the area and executed an acrobatic bicycle kick to steer it past Mwanza. After a brief check, the goal stood, giving the striker his second of the night and Morocco’s third.
The match also marked the return of Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, who received a warm reception when he came on in the 64th minute following his recovery from an ankle injury. He nearly added a fourth goal in the 81st minute, only to be denied by a superb full-stretch save from Mwanza.
Historically, Morocco have enjoyed superiority against Zambia at AFCON level, and that trend continued here. They have now lost just one of their last 12 matches against the Chipolopolo, winning nine and drawing two in that run.
The result sees Morocco finish top of Group A with seven points. Zambia, despite their effort and commitment, end the group stage bottom with two points and are eliminated due to an inferior goal difference. Morocco, meanwhile, move confidently into the knockout rounds, boosted by El Kaabi’s clinical finishing and a commanding all-round display.
