Morocco rekindled their TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 ambitions with an emphatic 3-1 triumph over Zambia at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on Thursday. The victory, fueled by goals from Mohamed Hrimat, Oussama Lamlaoui, and Sabir Bougrine, keeps the Atlas Lions in contention for a quarter-final spot following their earlier setback against hosts Kenya.
The result leaves Morocco in a much stronger position ahead of their final group match, while Zambia’s hopes of progression suffer a heavy blow, having lost all three of their Group A games if results hold. Angola and DR Congo face off later tonight in the group’s other fixture, which could further shape the standings.
Morocco came out of the blocks with urgency, knowing only a win would revive their campaign. Early pressure brought several corners and half-chances, with Khalid Aït Ouarkhane, Abdelhak Assal, and Youssef Mehri probing Zambia’s defence. The breakthrough came just before halftime when Mehri’s well-delivered corner found Hrimat, who rifled a right-footed strike into the top corner, giving Morocco a deserved 1-0 lead after dominating possession and forcing several saves from Zambia keeper Francis Mwansa.
The second half saw Zambia push for a response, introducing Charles Zulu and Andrew Phiri to bolster their attack. A potential equaliser in the 65th minute was ruled out by VAR after Happy Nsiku’s goal was deemed to have involved a foul in the build-up. Morocco capitalised on the moment, with Mehri again providing the assist for Lamlaoui, whose precise header doubled the lead almost immediately.
Zambia responded swiftly through Phiri, who reacted quickest after a goalmouth scramble to pull one back in the 70th minute, keeping the visitors’ hopes alive. But Morocco sealed the points late in stoppage time, as substitute Bougrine slotted home a rebound from Lamlaoui’s parried shot to make it 3-1.
Mehri’s vision and creativity proved pivotal for Morocco, orchestrating the first two goals and continuously finding pockets of space. Lamlaoui’s tireless movement stretched Zambia’s defence, while Hrimat provided a commanding presence in midfield. For Zambia, Phiri impressed off the bench, but costly defensive errors and poor set-piece marking undermined their efforts.
With this win, Morocco remains firmly in the hunt for a knockout stage berth, though final qualification depends on the outcome of Angola vs DR Congo. Zambia, meanwhile, will approach their remaining match with pride, knowing their tournament campaign is effectively over.
