January 25, (THEWILL) – Morocco earned a top spot in Group F at the Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 1-0 victory, over Zambia. The win makes it eight games without defeat for the Atlas Lions while simultaneously eliminating the 2012 champions Zambia from the tournament.
A nervy opening saw chances for both sides before Morocco took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Hakim Ziyech pounced on the rebound from a fine save to smash the ball into the net for his first goal of the competition.
Zambia came out rejuvenated after the break as they searched for an equaliser to keep their qualification hopes alive. Lameck Banda came closest to grabbing it but could only fire his curling effort wide of the post.
With the Copper Bullets needing to win to remain, they struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities against an organised Morocco defence. Their best second-half chance fell to Emmanuel Banda late on but his tame shot was easily collected by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
The 1-0 defeat means the Zambian’s fairy tale AFCON campaign comes to a disappointing end at the group stage while Morocco marches on as Group F winners. The Atlas Lions will now turn focus to the knockout rounds as they look to build on recent successes with a deep run in the continental showpiece.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
