Morocco emerged victorious in a 1-0 match against Zambia, with Hakim Ziyech’s goal securing their place as the leading team in Group F. Sadly, this defeat shattered Zambia’s hopes of progressing further in the AFCON tournament.

Morocco secured top spot in Group F and knocked Zambia out of the African Cup of Nations with a 1-0 win in San Pedro. This result also means that hosts Cote d’Ivoire squeezed into the last 16.

The Atlas Lions dominated the first 45 minutes, with Sofiane Boufal showcasing his dribbling skills and causing trouble for the Zambian defenders. Just before the half, Boufal set up Achraf Hakimi on the edge of the box, who delivered a cross into the six-yard box. Zambian goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga could only parry the ball into the path of captain Hakim Ziyech, who calmly swept it home for a 1-0 lead. This left Chipolopolo with a difficult task in the second half.

Avram Grant’s side came out fighting and pushed for an equalizer, coming close through Lameck Banda and Patston Daka. However, the stubborn Moroccan backline stood firm, denying Zambia any breakthrough. The tournament favorites absorbed the pressure from the underdogs and did the host nation a massive favor by holding on to knock out Zambia.

This result also gifted Cote d’Ivoire an unlikely path into the knockout stages as one of the best third-place finishers.