Morocco did a significant favor for host nation Ivory Coast by defeating Zambia, thereby securing the Elephants’ entry into the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 through the back door.
Zambia required a draw in the Group F finale to prevent the hosts from claiming the fourth and final qualification spot for the group stage’s best third-placed teams.
However, Hakim Ziyech’s close-range strike dashed Zambia’s hopes, secured Ivory Coast’s advancement, and propelled Morocco to the top of the group.
The Atlas Lions are set to face South Africa in the knockout stages on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Ivory Coast, which dismissed manager Jean-Louis Gasset earlier on Wednesday due to disappointing group performances, narrowly avoiding an early exit, is now scheduled to face Senegal in an enticing last-16 clash on Monday.
The Elephants express gratitude to Walid Regragui’s team for providing them a last-minute lifeline, adding another dramatic twist to conclude a captivating and unpredictable series of group games.
Head coach Regragui was absent from the Morocco dugout against Zambia, serving a four-match ban from the Confederation of African Football for “post-match incidents” following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo.
Two games of his ban have been suspended for a year but the 48-year-old will also have to watch the last-16 meeting with Bafana Bafana from the stands, unless a Moroccan appeal succeeds.
Relief for host nation as Morocco help out
After suffering a stunning 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in Group A on Monday, Ivory Coast found solace in the fact that only two third-placed teams from the six groups would be eliminated.
When Ghana conceded two goals in stoppage time against Mozambique later that day, finishing Group B with only two points, the Elephants’ optimism rose as they needed to outperform just one other third-placed team.
However, their anxiety increased as Guinea, Mauritania, and Namibia secured three of the four available spots, leaving Ivory Coast dependent on a Zambia loss to avoid an early exit, potentially joining fellow heavyweights Algeria and Ghana in an embarrassing departure.
Morocco, having already secured progression with four points from their initial two games, faced the dilemma of how seriously the North Africans would approach their final group encounter.
Despite making four changes, the Atlas Lions dominated the first half at Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro, with Nayef Aguerd missing a glorious headed chance before Morocco finally, and deservedly, broke the deadlock.
The goal proved difficult for Zambia goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga, who had previously made a superb save to deny Ayoub El Kaabi’s close-range attempt to poke in Achraf Hakimi’s cross. However, Mulenga’s efforts were in vain as Hakim Ziyech capitalized on the rebound to rifle the ball home.
Mulenga continued to keep Avram Grant’s team in the game during the second half, making a smart stop from Amine Adli and an excellent late double save to thwart Amir Richardson and Tarik Tissoudali.
Despite Mulenga’s impressive saves, Zambia’s attempts to secure the needed point were limited to shots from distance. Lameck Banda’s curling effort from 20 yards narrowly missed the target, and Emmanuel Banda’s long-range shot was tipped over by Bono.
While the Chipolopolo had drawn eight of their previous nine Afcon games, they couldn’t replicate this feat when it mattered most. Unfortunately, they have not won a match at the finals since their surprise championship in 2012.