Morocco trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Ismaeil Saibari scored twice in the first half after Abdul-Latif Goumey was sent off and second-half goals from Ayoub el Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi completed the rout.
Morocco became the 17th team to reach the 48-team World Cup to be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Morocco was a surprise semifinalist in the 2022 edition where it lost to France.
The World no. 12 side won all its six matches in qualifying and made the finals with two matches left to play.
Published on Sep 06, 2025
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com