Morocco keen to keep momentum going against Zambia

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui insists he's not about to relax after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and is demanding another win against Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Monday, September 8.

Kick-off is at 3pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Current form:

The Atlas Lions became the first African team to book their ticket to the global showpiece after they dismantled Niger 5-0 in Rabat on September 5.

Regragui's side maintained their perfect record in qualifying to go eight points clear of Tanzania at the top of Group E with six matches played.

Their rout of the Menas also saw the North Africans equal Burkina Faso and Algeria's tally for the most goals scored in the group stages (19), but having played one game less.

The Copper Bullets haven't been in action since they suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Taifa Stars in Ndola on 11 June 2024.

Avram Grant's side were due to face Congo in March this year, but the Red Devils refused to play in DR Congo and their opponents were subsequently awarded a 3-0 win.

Zambia had a bye on matchday 7 due to Eritrea's withdrawal from qualifying before a ball was kicked and they need results in their final three outings to stand a chance of pipping Tanzania as runners-up in the group.

What was said:

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui

"Six matches, six wins - even against teams that play with 10 men behind - it's the start of the season for the players. Hamdulillah, I'm satisfied.

"It's historic. We keep building on this dynamic. At the end, the most important thing is qualification.

"The bar is high. Now, the expectation is to win every game, and fans are right to demand this."

Players to watch:

Zambia - Patson Daka has been in a rich vein of form for his country in the last three years, scoring 11 goals in 15 appearances. The 26-year-old striker has found the back of the net three times in qualifying, bagging a brace in a 4-2 win over Congo and scoring in the 2-1 loss to Niger.

Morocco - Ayoub El Kaabi has led the charge for the Atlas Lions and leads the scoring charts in Group E with four goals. The 32-year-old striker missed the March qualifiers against Niger and Tanzania through injury, but was on target in the 5-0 demolition of the Menas on matchday 7, making it three goals in three games after also scoring in the friendlies against Tunisia and Benin in June.

Head-to-Head: (Last Five Matches)

Matches - 5

Zambia wins - 1

Morocco wins - 4

Draws - 0