Morocco crush 10-man Niger to seal 2026 World Cup spot | Sports

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 6, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - 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. Ismael 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. A sixth straight victory lifted Morocco to an unassailable lead with 18 points, and sealed a seventh appearance at the global showpiece with two matches to spare. Morocco were shock semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Atlas Lions topped a group including Croatia and Belgium and eliminated Spain and Portugal in the knockout stage. The stunning run came...