Morocco’s national football team, the Atlas Lions, stormed past the Central African Republic, the Wild Beasts, scoring a commanding 5-0 victory in the qualifiers for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Saturday evening, at Oujda d’Honneur Stadium.
The game started with Morocco on the front foot, relentlessly pressing the Central African Republic’s defense.
After only 18 minutes, Abde Ezzalzouli opened the scoring with a powerful shot that goalkeeper Dominique Youfeigane couldn’t keep out. The early strike set the tone for the rest of the half.
The Wild Beast found it difficult to create any clear chances, as Morocco’s defense remained solid.
Morocco doubled their lead in the 38th minute with a goal from Azzedine Ounahi. The midfielder received a nice assist from Youssef Belammari and found the top left corner for the 2-0.
As the first half neared a close, Morocco delivered a late flurry of goals that left its opponents reeling. In the 45th minute, Achraf Hakimi joined the scoring with a left-footed cross-shot, bringing the tally to 3-0.
Barely two minutes later, in stoppage time, Ounahi struck again, completing his brace. This time, he capitalized on a precise pass from Ezzalzouli, calmly slotting the ball home to make it 4-0 at the break.
In the 71st minute, Soufiane Rahimi cemented his team’s lead with a beautiful penalty kick, bringing the tally to a sweeping 5-0.