It’s getting hot in Africa
Rabat: Host nation Morocco and South Africa advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations’ knockout stage, when Egypt star Mohamed Salah got a rest with his team already through.
Morocco made sure of their place in the last 16 with a 3-0 rout of Zambia on Monday. The hosts topped Group A to stay on course for having all their knockout games in Rabat’s near 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which will also stage the final on Jan. 18.
Results in Group A, where Comoros finished third with two points, and Group B, where Angola did likewise, set off celebrations elsewhere. That’s because teams with more than two points and already assured of at least third place in their groups have reached the last-16.
The four best third-place teams from the six groups progress, along with the top two in each. Head-to-head results are the first determining factor if two teams finish with the same amount of points in a group.
It means 2021 winners Senegal, Congo and Benin (because of its win over Botswana, its first ever in the tournament) are through before their final games in Group D, and defending champion Ivory Coast, five-time winner Cameroon, and Mozambique (because of its win against Gabon) are through from Group F.
Burkina Faso and Sudan are through with already-qualified Algeria from Group E because they both defeated Equatorial Guinea.
No whistles in Rabat
Motorists honked their horns, some with flag-waving passengers on the roofs of their vehicles, and supporters blew vuvuzelas on the streets of Rabat after Morocco’s win.
This time there were only cheers, after Morocco fans had whistled the team during its previous game, prompting a rebuke from team captain Achraf Hakimi on Sunday.
Ayoub El Kaabi made sure of the win in the 50th with a spectacular bicycle kick — his second of the tournament. An offside flag added to the drama as the goal was ruled out and then allowed after a VAR check confirmed El Kaabi was onside, setting off more joyous celebrations in the stadium. They had further reason to cheer when Hakimi went on as a substitute in the 64th.
