AFCON 2025: Morocco Beat Zambia 3-0 to Seal Top Spot in Group A as Hakimi Returns
Morocco completed a flawless group-stage campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a dominant 3-0 victory over Zambia, sealing top spot in Group A with an unbeaten run. The night was made even more memorable by the return of Achraf Hakimi, who played his first minutes since recovering from injury.
Hakimi had been sidelined since early November after suffering an injury while representing Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. The influential right-back made his comeback on Monday at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah, coming on as a second-half substitute with Morocco already firmly in control of the match.
The Atlas Lions started strongly and took the lead in the ninth minute through Ayoub El Kaabi, who powered home a diving header to open the scoring. Morocco continued to press and was rewarded before the half-hour mark when Brahim Diaz showed his quality, calmly sweeping the ball into the net to make it 2-0.
El Kaabi produced the highlight of the night early in the second half with a spectacular bicycle kick after meeting Abde Ezzalzouli’s cross. Although the goal was initially ruled out for offside, a VAR review confirmed the striker had beaten the offside trap, and the goal was awarded to put the result beyond doubt.
Elsewhere in Group A, Mali and Comoros played out a 0-0 draw, a result that confirmed Morocco’s position at the top of the standings. Walid Regragui’s side now advances to the round of 16, where they will face one of the best third-placed teams on January 4.
