Under the floodlights of African qualifying, Algeria and Morocco both opened their roads to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with home victories, although the two evenings carried very different details: Ibrahim Maza lit up Algeria’s attack, while Soufiane Rahimi gave Morocco’s win a deeply personal closing image.
Key takeaways
- Algeria beat Zambia 3-1 in Brahim Hemdani’s first match in charge of the Fennecs.
- Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza scored once and created Anis Hadj Moussa’s goal with a backheel.
- Nice forward Mohammed Amoura supplied two assists, but Marseille striker Amine Gouiri went off injured.
- Morocco overcame Gabon 2-0 in Rabat, with Noussair Mazraoui and substitute Soufiane Rahimi on the scoresheet.
- Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd delivered a solid display for the Atlas Lions.
Maza leads Algeria’s bright but imperfect start
Algeria made a fast beginning against Zambia, with Jaouen Hadjam scoring in the second minute after an assist from Amoura. The left flank was Algeria’s most productive route throughout the match, as Hadjam and the Nice attacker combined effectively.
Amoura’s willingness to create rather than force his own finish stood out, and he ended the night with two assists. Algeria’s attacking movement also gave Maza space between Zambia’s midfield and defence, a role in which the Leverkusen player repeatedly caused problems.
Maza doubled Algeria’s advantage in the 67th minute, but Zambia found an equaliser before then through captain Fashion Sakala in the 57th. It was a warning for Hemdani’s side, who controlled much of the contest but showed vulnerabilities without the ball.
The decisive stretch belonged to Maza. After the Zambian goalkeeper denied him the chance to add another, he reacted quickly in a collective move and slipped a clever heel pass into the path of Hadj Moussa. The finish in the 74th minute settled the 3-1 result.
There was enough in Algeria’s attacking performance to encourage their new coach, but the defensive lapses remain an issue to address as qualifying continues. The principal concern from the evening was Gouiri’s injury, which forced the Marseille forward from the pitch.
Morocco make their point in Rabat
Morocco were more controlled in their 2-0 win over Gabon in Rabat. The Atlas Lions had already beaten the same opponents twice during the qualifying campaign for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, winning 4-1 and 5-1, and again found a way through from the left side.
Mazraoui opened the scoring in the 36th minute, with Abde Ezzalzouli also influential down that flank. Ezzalzouli, one of the notable players absent from the World Cup, helped Morocco impose themselves without allowing Gabon a route back into the game.
Aguerd continued in the Moroccan defence and produced a convincing performance. The Marseille centre-back helped preserve the clean sheet on an evening watched by federation president Fouzi Lekjaa, whose Authenticity and Modernity party had recently won the legislative elections.
Yassir Zabiri, making his first start for Morocco, did not find the same comfort he has shown in Spanish football. The Rennes loanee, currently with Racing Santander, was replaced before the second goal arrived.
Rahimi came on and sealed the victory in the 84th minute. His celebration carried the weight of a recent family loss: he held up a photograph of his father, Mohamed “Youari”, who died at the beginning of September.
