Morocco reminded the rest of Africa who runs the show on home soil as Ayoub El Kaabi’s brace powered the hosts to a commanding 3-0 victory over Zambia, sealing top spot in Group A and exposing the gulf in class between contenders and pretenders.

The Olympiakos striker struck in both halves in front of 62,532 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, while Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz piled on the misery by scoring for a third straight game at the tournament.

Morocco wrapped up the group stage with two wins and a draw to finish on seven points, while Mali limped into second after a third consecutive draw, this time a goalless stalemate against Comoros.

Walid Regragui’s side will now enjoy the luxury of staying in Rabat for a last-16 clash against one of the best third-placed teams on Sunday, January 4, a reward earned with ruthless efficiency.

The hosts also welcomed back captain Achraf Hakimi, Africa’s Player of the Year, who made his first appearance since recovering from an ankle injury, underlining Morocco’s growing strength.

After seeing their record 19-match winning streak halted by Mali, the Atlas Lions responded by dismantling Zambia, who struggled to live with the tempo from start to finish.

Ranked 11th in the world and 80 places above Zambia, Morocco played like a side fully aware of the mismatch, recalling past victories over the Copper Bullets during World Cup qualifying.

Zambia entered the match needing a win to guarantee progress, a daunting task for a nation still chasing its first AFCON victory since lifting the trophy in 2012.

Morocco struck early, with El Kaabi nodding home in the ninth minute after a clever corner routine, silencing any lingering doubts almost instantly.

The pressure intensified as a sweeping move ended with Diaz calmly finishing for his third goal of the tournament, leaving Zambia chasing shadows.

El Kaabi completed the rout six minutes after the break with a spectacular overhead kick, initially ruled out before VAR confirmed Zambia’s misery.

The goal lifted El Kaabi level with Diaz and Riyad Mahrez atop the scorers’ chart, while a late Hakimi cameo nearly added a fourth before Willard Mwanza spared further embarrassment.