Futsal: El Fenni fires Morocco towards the semi-finals in nine minutes
Four goals, a 7–0 win over Zambia and qualification secured: Morocco settled most of their second night at the Futsal AFCON before half-time on Wednesday. One group game remains, against Libya on Friday, before the knockout rounds.
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Idriss Raiss El Fenni at the Rising Star Cup, Brussels, 29 June 2025. File photo, not from the match: Abdelali Bentarki / Ali Graphy Pic, CC BY 4.0. Resized, with SNA logo added.
Three goals between the third and ninth minutes: Idriss Raiss El Fenni gave Morocco a lead that Zambia never closed. The Atlas Lions won 7–0 on Wednesday 14 October at the Moulay Abdellah Sports Palace in Rabat and booked their place in the semi-finals of the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations. The striker's four goals tell much of the story; a second clean-sheet win also defines their start to the tournament.
The early lead was already decisive before the break
El Fenni scored in the third minute, then again in the fourth. His third, in the ninth, made it 3–0. Zambia, who had beaten Libya 3–1 in their opening match, found themselves chasing a three-goal deficit before the first half had reached its midpoint.
Yanis Ahmed Erradaf then scored Morocco's fourth, in the twelfth minute. At the break, Morocco led 4–0. In futsal, each half lasts twenty minutes of effective playing time: this lead was built well before the middle of the match, without waiting for the opposition to tire late on.
Zambia's Hendricks Chisanga was sent off late in the match, after the four goals Morocco had scored before the break.
El Fenni's four, but four different scorers
El Fenni picked up where he left off after the break. His goal in the twenty-first minute took his personal tally to four and Morocco's lead to five. Soufiane Charraoui and then Youssef Jouad completed the scoring.
Four different players scored, even though El Fenni claimed four of the seven goals. The striker was named man of the match by the CAF technical committee. The award reflects precise efficiency: three goals to build the early lead, then a fourth to extend the advantage after the restart.
For Zambia, the contrast with their opening win over Libya is stark. Their three points stand, but this second game left them with nothing on the scoreboard.
Qualification secured, but the title is still a long way off
After the 4–0 win over Algeria and now this 7–0, Morocco have scored eleven goals and conceded none in two games. They top Group A with six points, ahead of Zambia on three. Algeria and Libya, who drew 2–2, have one each.
Hicham Dguig's side are through to the semi-finals before their last group game, against Libya on Friday 16 October. That match still has something to play for; the fourth consecutive continental title they are chasing is far from secured. The first two wins show how efficient they have been in this group. The knockout games must still confirm that edge over the other contenders.
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