Mali and Morocco Advance to 8th Round of CAN 2025 Dateline: Libreville, Gabon — 29 December 2025 (AGP) Lead Paragraph The third day of the group stage in Group A of the CAN 2025 tournament saw the Mali national team qualify for the round of 8 after a goalless draw against the Comoros (0-0), while hosts Morocco secured their second victory with a 3-0 triumph over Zambia, advancing to the next stage, reports the Agence Gabonaise de Presse.
In the match between Mali and the Comoros, both teams failed to score, with Mali’s draw allowing them to advance to the next round.
The Mali team had previously tied with both Zambia and Morocco, with the scores being 1-1 in each of those matches.
This time, the draw against the Comoros was enough for Mali to move forward. Morocco, as the host nation, continued their strong performance with a convincing 3-0 win over Zambia.
Moroccan striker Ayoub El Kaabi scored two goals, one in the 9th minute and another in the 50th minute, while Brahim Diaz added the third goal in the 27th minute.
This victory was Morocco’s second in the competition, following a draw against Mali in the second group stage match. Both Zambia and the Comoros have been eliminated from the tournament following these results.
The final group standings are as follows: 1st place Morocco with 7 points, 2nd place Mali with 4 points, 3rd place Comoros with 2 points, and 4th place Zambia with 2 points.
The tournament continues with both Mali and Morocco looking to build on their strong starts. Further details regarding the next matches and potential strategies are expected to be announced in the coming days.
The teams will now focus on their upcoming matches, with the goal of advancing to the quarterfinals.
