Football

Morocco and Guinea Dominate in Africa Cup of Nations QualifiersMorocco and Guinea showcased their dominance in the final round of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Saturday, securing emphatic victories over Central African Republic and Ethiopia, respectively.Morocco, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists, cruised to a 5-0 triumph in Oujda. Azzedine Ounahi netted a brace, while Abde Ezzalzouli, Achraf Hakimi, and Soufiane Rahimi each contributed a goal. The hosts led 4-0 by halftime, highlighting the vast gap in quality between the two teams.Guinea, under the guidance of veteran coach Michel Dussuyer, also impressed with a 4-1 victory over Ethiopia in Abidjan. Serhou Guirassy, born in France to Guinean parents, stole the show with a hat-trick. His pace and power proved too much for the Ethiopian defense. Seydouba Cisse added the fourth goal for Guinea.Morocco's victory equals the biggest winning margin in 2025 qualifying, matching South Africa's 5-0 drubbing of Congo Brazzaville. Despite being the tournament hosts and automatically qualifying, Morocco opted for competitive match practice to prepare for the AFCON, which will be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.In Group H, DR Congo remains atop the standings with nine points, while Tanzania and Guinea trail with four and three points, respectively. Their November meeting will likely determine who joins DR Congo in qualifying for the tournament.