After being scared, Morocco, host of the African Football Cup of Nations (CAN), finally qualified for the round of 16, and in style. Monday, December 29, the Atlas Lions played against Zambia for their third match of the group stage, at the Prince Moulay-Abdellah stadium, in Rabat (3-0).
Following their successful entry into the competition, the Moroccans were then held in check by Mali on Friday (1-1). A poor performance which earned them whistles from part of their audience during the match. But against Zambia, the perfect start to the match by coach Walid Regragui’s men allowed them to quickly reconnect with the more than 60,000 supporters present, this time in jubilation. From the first minutes, Ayoub El-Kaabi opened the scoring (9e), followed by Brahim Diaz, at the conclusion of a great collective action (27e), rewarding a one-sided first period.
And the second started on the same basis. Cornered in their defense and totally overwhelmed, the Zambians could not avoid a third goal, signed again by Ayoub El-Kaabi. The 32-year-old striker, very prominent since the start of the competition, was the author of a sublime acrobatic return, a gesture he had already performed against the Comoros on December 21 (2-0).
At the hour mark, Achraf Hakimi, who had not played since November due to an injury to his left ankle, came into play. His return, acclaimed by the public, concluded a fully successful evening for the Atlas Lions, and above all came at the right time for Morocco, first in Group A, and qualified for the final stages of the competition.
Second in the group, Mali, who faced the Comoros at the same time, also ensured their qualification. Dominant but unable to score, the Eagles conceded a third draw (0-0), which however did not compromise their future in the tournament. Zambia, ranked last, is eliminated from the tournament, while the Comorian selection (3e2 points), is in an unfavorable reprieve, pending the next results.
South Africa eliminates Zimbabwe
Sporting logic was also respected in Group B, where the two favorites – two teams also qualified for the 2026 World Cup – made it through the first round. Under the eyes of the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, South Africa dominated Zimbabwe (3-2).
At the end of a disjointed match, striker Oswin Appollis scored the third victorious goal thanks to a penalty (82e), a few minutes after a second equalization for Zimbabwe, following an own goal from defender Aubrey Modiba (73e2-2).
At the start of the second period, Lyle Foster gave the South Africans the lead again by taking advantage of a poor recovery from defender Divine Lunga (50e2-1). In the first period, South Africa opened the scoring thanks to a blocked shot from Tshepang Moremi (8e1-0), before Zimbabwean Tawanda Maswanhise equalized thanks to a nice acceleration within the opposing defense (19e1-1).
For their sixth participation, the Zimbabwe Warriors have still not managed to get past the first round. Winner of the CAN in 1996, South Africa can hope to repeat its good performance from the previous edition, which it finished in third place.
Missed opportunities for Angola
Already assured of finishing in one of the first two places before this third meeting, the Egyptians did not shine against Angola, but they secured the essentials by taking the lead in their group with 7 points. With a reshuffled team and star striker Mohamed Salah on the substitutes’ bench, the Pharaohs were content with a draw (0-0) against the selection coached by Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle.
Finalists in 2017 and 2021, the Egyptians, holders of the record for coronations in the African Cup of Nations (seven successes since 1957) have not lifted the trophy since 2010.
Unfortunately, the Angolans, who absolutely needed a victory to be certain of appearing among the four best thirds, and therefore to continue their adventure in the competition, missed several clear opportunities to win: a face-to-face missed by Chico Banza or a free kick on the post from Fredy. They will have to wait tomorrow for the results of Group C – those of Tanzania against Tunisia and Uganda against Nigeria – to find out if they qualify for the round of 16.
