CHAN 2018: Morocco and Sudan both win to book quarter-final places

Wydad Casablanca's Walid El Karti set up the first goal of Ayoub El Kaabi's hat-trick against Guinea.

Victories for Sudan and hosts Morocco mean both teams are through from Group A to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), the tournament for locally-based players only.

Ayoub El Kaabi scored a perfect hat-trick as hosts Morocco beat Guinea 3-1 in Group A of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Guinea's consolation goal came from Saidouba Bissiri Camara with a neat finish to cancel out El Kaabi's opening effort.

Wali El Din scored the only goal of the game as Sudan beat Mauritania 1-0.

In the day's first game. Morocco dominated the possession from the start but lacked the cohesion to carry much threat to Guinea, who were happy to disrupt and look for counter-attacks.

The hosts were forced into a change after just 18 minutes when Wydad Casablanca's Walid El Karti replaced the injured Abdelilah Hafidi.

It was African Champions League winner El Karti who set up the opening goal in the 27th minute with a cross that he swung into the penalty area which was headed home by El Kaabi.

Guinea disputed the goal claiming that El Kaabi was offside and questioning whether the ball had crossed the line as it came down off the underside of the bar but the officials correctly ruled the goal should stand.

Less than a minute later Guinea equalised with a counter attack - Bissiri chesting a ball played through by Sekou 'Trezeguet' Camara down between two defenders before deftly lifting it over the onrushing Moroccan keeper Anas Zniti.

In the second half Morocco continued to push for a second goal but spent too much time on the ball and when they did decide to pass it lacked quality.

Their lucky break came in the 64th minute when Guinea's Aboubaca Camara, instead of clearing the ball, tried to play it across the area and succeeded only in passing it to El Kaabi who fired home from just outside the area.

Four minutes later El Kaabi started and finished a counter attack that gave him his hat-trick when he played a half-pitch one-two with Ismail El Haddad who presented him with an open goal to make it 3-1.

He now has five for the tournament after just two games which already equals the most goals scored in a CHAN tournament, which was Zambia's Given Singuluma in 2009.

Guinea continued to look for a goal and their best chances was when a free-kick was fired straight at Zniti, who could only manage to parry the ball, but saw the follow-up hit straight at him.

Morocco's win meant that Sudan began their match knowing a win for them would take both teams into the last eight.

Mauritania dominated the first-half and created some of the better chances as they went after a win to revive their chances of making the last eight.

But it was Sudan who made the break through on the half-hour mark when Eldin latched onto a through ball into the area before rifling beyond the keeper.

The second-half failed to produce the excitement of the opening 45 minutes with Sudan holding on for the win.

The final Group A games are on Sunday with Morocco against Sudan in Casablanca to decide the pool winners, while at the same time in Marrakech Guinea play Mauritania as both sides try and avoid finishing bottom.