Morocco’s Atlas Lions  defeated Tanzania 2-0 today in their opening game for the African qualifiers of the 2026 World Cup.

The match, which took place at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, saw the team aiming for a solid performance.

Atlas Lion Hakim Ziyech scored his team’s opening goal in the 28th minute of the match.

Meanwhile, Tanzania’s Lusajo Elukaga Mwaikenda unintentionally contributed to Morocco’s victory by scoring an own goal in the 53rd minute.

The African qualifiers placed Morocco in Group E alongside Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, Niger, and Eritrea.

Following today’s game, Morocco will face Zambia between June 3 and 11, 2024. The squad will then lock horns with Congo during the same period.

In addition, the team will face Niger and Tanzania between March 17 and 25, 2025.

In the period between September 1 and 9, 2025, the Atlas Lions will take on Niger and Zambia, before playing against Congo in October.

The 2026 World Cup will take place in Canada, the United States, and Mexico between June 11 and July 19.

This edition of the World Cup will see an expanded format, featuring a total of 48 teams instead of 32, with 12 groups of four teams each. It will include 104 matches instead of the typical 64 games.

In their quest for qualification, Morocco will be looking to build on their success in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where they reached the semifinals forthe first time.

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