Morocco breathed new life into their CHAN campaign with a comprehensive victory over Zambia at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, keeping their knockout stage aspirations firmly on track.
The Atlas Lions showed exactly why they have lifted this trophy twice before, producing a polished display that showcased their technical superiority and tactical discipline. After suffering an early setback against hosts Kenya, Morocco knew only victory would suffice – and they delivered in emphatic fashion.
Youssef Mehri proved the architect of Morocco’s success, his precise delivery from set-pieces causing havoc in the Zambian penalty area throughout the evening. The midfielder’s corner routine with Mohamed Hrimat broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time, with the latter’s thunderous strike finding the top corner to reward Morocco’s sustained pressure.
Zambia emerged from the interval with renewed purpose, introducing fresh legs in Charles Zulu and Andrew Phiri as they sought to rescue their campaign. Their hopes appeared to receive a boost when Happy Nsiku scrambled the ball home, only for VAR to intervene and chalk off the effort for an earlier infringement.
That intervention proved costly for Avram Grant’s side. Within sixty seconds, Oussama Lamlaoui had doubled Morocco’s advantage with a textbook header from another Mehri cross, demonstrating the clinical edge that separates tournament contenders from also-rans.
Zambia refused to surrender without a fight. Substitute Phiri, who had injected pace and directness since his introduction, capitalised on defensive confusion to reduce the deficit with twenty minutes remaining. For a brief moment, the Copper Bullets sensed an unlikely comeback was possible.
Those dreams were extinguished in stoppage time when Sabir Bougrine, another substitute making his mark, pounced on a rebound to complete the scoring and ensure Morocco’s passage into the next phase remained in their own hands.
The result eliminates Zambia from contention after three consecutive defeats, whilst Morocco now await the outcome of tonight’s clash between Angola and DR Congo to determine their exact qualification requirements. What remains certain is that the Atlas Lions have rediscovered the form that made them continental champions in 2018 and 2020.
