Morocco led visitors Niger 3-1 at the break on Friday evening at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca, in the third round of qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Yasser Zabiri struck early, and Achraf Hakimi stole the show with two of his own.
Zabiri opened the scoring for the Atlas Lions in the fourth minute, rewarding the hosts' blistering start after a decisive pass from Brahim Diaz. Hakimi then doubled the lead in the 27th minute, hammering a powerful strike from outside the box to stretch Mohamed Ouahbi's side further clear.
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Niger refused to fold. Mohamed Abdul Rahman pulled one back in the 41st minute, setting up a tense finish to the half.
Stoppage time handed Niger a golden chance to level, but Youssouf Ali Oumar fired his penalty wide in the 45th minute. Hakimi made them pay in the third minute of added time, curling in a long-range free-kick to round off Morocco's first half 3-1 ahead.
Zabiri: a talent who made history
Zabiri's goal carried special weight. The young striker has become one of the brightest faces of his generation, breaking through with dazzling displays at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile in 2025.
He was among the chief architects of Morocco's historic triumph, as the youth side lifted the title for the first time. Zabiri scored five goals across the tournament, including a brace in the final against Argentina, which Morocco won 2-0.
Finishing as joint top scorer, the striker also claimed the Silver Ball as the competition's second-best player, according to FIFA, after a pivotal role in crowning his country world champions.
A product of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, Zabiri began his professional career with Union Touarga before moving to Famalicao in Portugal, then on to Rennes in France in February 2026.
A loan move to Racing Santander in Spain followed, where he kept banging in the goals at the start of his adventure in Spanish football.
Morocco seek to maintain their perfect record
Morocco came into the match chasing a third straight win in qualifying. Two 2-0 victories over Gabon and Lesotho had already handed them six points and top spot in Group One heading into the clash with Niger.
Niger, meanwhile, opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over Lesotho before falling 2-0 to Gabon, leaving them on three points as they travelled to face Morocco.