Ayoub El Kaabi scored twice as hosts Morocco eased to a 3-0 victory over Zambia at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday to secure progress to the last 16 as winners of their group.
The Olympiakos striker netted in each half in front of 62,532 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat, while Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz got the other goal as he scored for the third match running at the tournament.
Morocco finished the first round with two wins and a draw, allowing them to progress from Group A in first place with seven points. Mali finished second after a third straight draw, 0-0 against Comoros.
Walid Regragui’s Moroccan side will therefore have the advantage of staying in Rabat for a last-16 clash against one of the best third-placed finishers on Sunday, January 4.
A comfortable evening for the host nation also saw captain Achraf Hakimi, the African player of the year, come on as a second-half substitute for his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury in action for Paris Saint-Germain in early November.
The Atlas Lions had seen their world record 19-match winning run come to an end in a 1-1 draw with Mali last time out, but bounced back from that by outclassing their Zambian opponents.
