Hakim Ziyech propelled Morocco into the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations as Group F winners with a 1-0 triumph over Zambia.
The Chelsea midfielder, presently on loan at Turkish club Galatasaray, secured victory at Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro with a decisive goal seven minutes before halftime.
Ziyech’s well-executed finish proved to be the decisive moment, earning Morocco the three points they needed to top the group. DR Congo secured the runners-up position after a goalless draw with Tanzania, signaling the end of Zambia’s involvement in the tournament.
Despite a competitive start to the match, with attempts from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Zambia’s Patson Daka narrowly missing the mark, clear opportunities were scarce in the first half. Sofiane Boufal and Azzedine Ounahi also failed to find the target as both teams sought to assert themselves in an evenly contested game.
In the 30th minute, Kennedy Musonda tested Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou with a long-range strike, but defender Frankie Musonda crucially intervened seconds later to deny Ismael Saibari from reaching skipper Ziyech’s cross in front of the goal.
Zambia had a close call 10 minutes before halftime when defender Nayef Aguerd headed wide from Ziyech’s cross. However, Morocco’s 30-year-old skipper found the back of the net within three minutes after Zambia’s keeper Lawrence Mulenga spilled a low cross.
Mulenga managed to parry Ayoub El Kaabi’s header, preventing Morocco from extending their lead, and the teams headed into halftime with Morocco holding a narrow one-goal advantage.
After the break, half-time substitute Amine Adli created two goal-scoring opportunities, but Zambia’s defense held firm. Lameck Banda came close to equalizing with a chance in the 59th minute.
As Morocco tired, Zambia intensified their efforts, with Lubambo Musonda shooting just too high and Emmanuel Banda forcing a save. Substitute Fashion Sakala caused problems for Morocco, but despite their efforts, Zambia couldn’t find a way back into the game, and Morocco secured a 1-0 victory.