Morocco faces Zambia in a crucial match to reach the final stage
- Morocco faces a critical scenario against Zambia
- The draw against Mali and the challenge of Zambia
- Hakimi's return boosts Morocco in its decisive match
Despite the Moroccan team being the favourites to win the African Cup of Nations, the draw against Mali means that Regragui's side, who are hoping to have their star player Achraf Hakimi available, must beat Zambia to secure their place in the next round of the tournament.
The match between Morocco and Zambia will be played today at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat and can be watched live from 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. GMT). In Spain, the broadcast will be available on Movistar+, which is showing all the matches of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In Morocco, fans will be able to watch it on beIN Sports and also on the state channel Arryadia and the SNRT platform, which are providing live coverage of the tournament's matches.
Morocco faces a critical scenario against Zambia
Group A remains wide open, with Zambia, Mali and Comoros still in contention to advance to the knockout stage. Although the top two teams qualify for the next round along with the four best third-placed teams, a defeat for Morocco could complicate the Moroccan team's future in the competition.
This is the scenario that makes the final matchday an all-or-nothing encounter for the four teams in the group.
From a qualifying point of view, a victory for Morocco against Zambia guarantees their passage to the next round, avoiding dependence on other results or goal difference. On the other hand, a draw or a defeat would open up a number of complicated scenarios.
Draw for Morocco against Zambia:
- If Mali beats Comoros, Morocco will only qualify if it maintains a better goal difference than Comoros.
- If Mali draws or loses, Morocco would advance, but could depend on a tiebreaker based on goals or goals scored.
Morocco's defeat against Zambia:
- If Mali beats Comoros, Morocco could be eliminated even with a good goal difference, depending on the exact score of the other match.
- If Mali draws, Morocco would be out if Zambia surpasses Mali or Comoros in total goals.
- Only a draw between Mali and Comoros could save Morocco, but it would be a very tight and risky scenario.
The draw against Mali and the challenge of Zambia
The setback against Mali has left Moroccan fans with mixed feelings, but they still see their team as the clear favourite to win the trophy. Tactical missteps and a lack of conviction were the causes of the draw against Mali. Morocco was only decisive from the penalty spot.
Moroccan coach Walid Regragui took a similar line to that of international sports analysts, pointing out his team's good play and stating that the mistakes made against Mali will not be repeated in the decisive match against Zambia, a team that has never defeated Morocco in official competition: two defeats and one draw.
Currently, Zambia is third in the group, but very poorly positioned compared to the teams in other groups occupying the same position. This could allow them to adopt a more relaxed approach, relying on their physical strength and direct play. This is the type of match that Morocco will want to avoid, as they are not comfortable with back-and-forth encounters, so they will seek to maintain control of the match at all times. Morocco knows that it cannot concede space or relax in its management of the match.
Hakimi's return boosts Morocco in its decisive match
After recovering from an ankle injury that had ruled him out of the first two games of the tournament, captain Achraf Hakimi is ready to play and could make his first appearance in this Africa Cup of Nations against Zambia, as confirmed by coach Walid Regragui on the eve of the clash.
His return is seen as a boost to the team's leadership and tactics, as his presence brings intensity and depth to the wings. It is worth remembering that Hakimi is the right-back with the most goal contributions in the world since 2023.
Hakimi himself has emphasised that his goal is to win the African Cup, regardless of whether he plays or not, and has asked fans to support the team in a positive way to help the group in this decisive stage of the tournament.