Morocco has become the first African nation to secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada after a resounding 5-0 victory over Niger on Friday in Rabat.
With this emphatic win, Morocco confirmed its place at the top of Group E, clinching qualification for its third consecutive World Cup © Mena Today
Morocco has become the first African nation to secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada after a resounding 5-0 victory over Niger on Friday in Rabat.
The Atlas Lions dominated the match from start to finish, with Ismael Saibari of PSV Eindhoven netting a first-half brace in the 29th and 38th minutes. Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiakos) extended the lead shortly after the break in the 50th minute, followed by goals from Hamza Igamane (LOSC Lille, 68th) and Azzedine Ounahi (Girona, 84th).
With this emphatic win, Morocco confirmed its place at the top of Group E, clinching qualification for its third consecutive World Cup.
The qualification continues Morocco’s strong momentum on the international stage, following their historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they became the first African nation to reach the last four.
By Sandy Elfassi
Spanish authorities should have anticipated the consequences of a court ruling that weakened a key deterrent against illegal migration and contributed to last week's mass crossings into the enclave of Ceuta in northern Morocco, a senior Moroccan official said on Monday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Monday that the EU increase its support to Morocco to help prevent a repeat of the chaotic attempted influx of 50,000 migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta last week.
Moroccan authorities granted provisional release to rapper El Mahdi Lyoubi, known by his stage name Mehdi Black Wind, after three weeks in detention. He remains under prosecution for "offending state institutions," his lawyers told AFP.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.