The hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco, finally delivered a performance worthy of their favourites tag, sweeping Zambia aside with a convincing 3-0 victory in Rabat on Monday to storm into the tournament's last 16.
El Kaabi Double Inspires Hosts
Striker Ayoub El Kaabi was the star of the show, netting a first-half double. He opened the scoring with a powerful early header before sealing the win in spectacular fashion with one of his trademark bicycle kicks. The midfield maestro Brahim Díaz added a third goal, scoring for the third successive game in the competition.
This commanding display saw Morocco finish at the summit of Group A with seven points, having shaken off the nerves of a narrow opening win against Comoros and a subsequent 1-1 draw with Mali.
Group A Decided as Mali Progress
The other Group A fixture played simultaneously in Casablanca ended in a tepid 0-0 draw between Mali and Comoros. That result was enough for Mali to squeeze through to the knockout stages in second place with three points. They will, however, be without Amadou Haidara for the next round after he received a late red card for a dangerous challenge.
For Zambia, the defeat meant elimination. They finished bottom of the group with just two points, behind Comoros on goal difference. There was a welcome return for Morocco's captain, Achraf Hakimi, the recently crowned African Footballer of the Year, who came on as a 64th-minute substitute to great acclaim after recovering from an ankle injury.
Dramatic Finish Sees South Africa Through
In Group B, a dramatic encounter in Marrakech saw South Africa secure a 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe to clinch second place and a spot in the last 16. Oswin Appollis was the hero, converting a penalty in the final 10 minutes after Marvelous Nakamba's handball.
South Africa led three times through Tshepang Moremi's first international goal, a Lyle Foster strike, and Appollis's spot-kick. Zimbabwe, however, fought back brilliantly with a stunning long-range effort from Tawanda Maswanhise and an Aubrey Modiba own goal, but ultimately fell short.
Egypt, having already secured top spot, rested key players like Mohamed Salah and played out a 0-0 draw with Angola. The result leaves Angola in third place with two points, facing a nervous wait to see if that is enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
The final round of group matches has set the stage for a thrilling knockout phase, with the hosts now looking every bit the contenders they were predicted to be.
