Two-time champions Morocco revived their TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 campaign with a composed 3-1 victory over Zambia at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Thursday night, keeping their quarter-final ambitions intact.
Goals from Mohamed Hrimat, Oussama Lamlaoui, and substitute Sabir Bougrine secured the win for the Atlas Lions, who bounced back strongly after their earlier defeat to hosts Kenya. Zambia, by contrast, slumped to a third straight loss, ending any lingering hopes of progression.
Morocco began with urgency, dominating possession and pinning Zambia deep. Khalid Aït Ouarkhane, Abdelhak Assal, and Youssef Mehri all threatened before the breakthrough arrived in first-half stoppage time. Mehri’s corner found Hrimat, who drove a right-footed finish into the top corner.
Zambia emerged with greater intent after the break, introducing Charles Zulu and Andrew Phiri. They appeared to have equalised on 65 minutes when Happy Nsiku forced the ball over the line, but VAR ruled the effort out for a foul in the build-up.
Within a minute, Morocco struck again. Mehri, at the heart of their creativity, floated a cross that Lamlaoui steered expertly into the far corner. Zambia responded through Phiri, who pounced on a loose ball to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 70th minute.
Pushing forward in search of a leveller, Zambia were punished in stoppage time. Lamlaoui’s effort was parried by Francis Mwansa, but Bougrine reacted quickest to slot home and seal the result.
Mehri’s vision and set-piece quality proved decisive, while Lamlaoui’s tireless running stretched Zambia’s defence. Hrimat controlled the midfield with authority. For Zambia, Phiri’s cameo impressed, but defensive lapses and poor set-piece marking proved costly.
With Angola and DR Congo set to meet later in the evening, Group A remains delicately balanced ahead of the final round. Morocco’s clash with DR Congo now looms as a potential winner-takes-all encounter, while Zambia will be left playing only for pride.
