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The plight of the Zambians in Cameroon was compounded when Zachariah Chilongoshi received a red card for a tack tackle and fell three goals before the break when Ayoub el Kaabi converted a penalty.
However, if the Moroccans thought they could have a scoring streak during the second half in the port city of Douala, they were wrong, as Zambia displayed a fighting spirit that it had not had before.
Not only did they prevent the defending champions from scoring in the second half, but they scored a goal with 10 minutes remaining thanks to substitute Moses Phiri.
By winning, Morocco became the first champion of a competition reserved for local players to reach the semifinals of the next edition.
They will face Cameroon in Limbe on Wednesday in a potential blockbuster that local media label as “the final before the final”.
Cameroon, which will contest the penultimate stage for the first time, rallied on Saturday to beat the two-time champion Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1.
While the Cameroonians will enjoy the advantage of playing at home, the Moroccans have improved considerably after a slow start in which they outscored Togo and were dominated by Rwanda.
Having scored just once, from penalties, in two outings, they scored eight goals against Uganda and Zambia with Rahimi bagging three and captain El Kaabi two.
The other semi-final, also on Wednesday, will be a West African affair between Mali and Guinea, and both will reach that stage for the second time.
Several hours after Morocco advanced, Guinea defeated Rwanda 1-0 in Limbe thanks to a direct free-kick from Morlaye Sylla in the 60th minute.
Both teams finished a tough 10-man quarter-final match after the expulsion of Guinean Mory Kante and Rwandan Olivier Kwizera.
Both offenders initially received a yellow card before the referee changed his mind after using the VAR.
Kante was sent off for a knee-high tackle on Jacques Tuyisenge in the 14th minute, forcing the Rwandan captain to retire, and Kwizera was sent off for a foul by the last defender 42 minutes later.
On Saturday, Mali edged Congo Brazzaville 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
dl / dj
