Ayoub El Kaabi scored twice for the hosts, while Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz added another goal, scoring for the third consecutive match. The win came in front of 62,532 fans in Rabat.

Morocco finished the group stage with two wins and a draw, collecting seven points. Mali ended second after a 0-0 draw with Comoros, while Zambia was eliminated.

The Atlas Lions will play one of the best third-placed teams in the last 16 on Sunday, January 4, in Rabat. “I think the competition really begins now,” said Coach Walid Regragui. “We aim to get through in the best possible shape and go as far as possible.”

Captain Achraf Hakimi made his tournament return as a second-half substitute after recovering from an ankle injury. The African player of the year nearly scored but was denied by a good save from Zambia’s Willard Mwanza.

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Morocco started strong, taking the lead in the ninth minute when a corner was played short to Azzedine Ounahi, who set up El Kaabi for a first-time header. The second goal came before the half-hour mark, with Diaz finishing after a brilliant move involving Ounahi and Abde Ezzalzouli.

El Kaabi completed his brace six minutes after half-time with an overhead kick, initially ruled out for offside but confirmed by VAR. This goal put him alongside Diaz and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez atop the AFCON scorers’ chart with three goals each.

With the win, Morocco bounced back from a 1-1 draw against Mali and remains Africa’s top-ranked side, 80 spots above Zambia in FIFA rankings.