Morocco inflicted a record 5-1 loss on Namibia in their opening African Nations Cup game here Monday in front of a near-empty stadium.
A first-half hat-trick from Soufiane Alloudi and goals from Tarik Sektioui and Moncef Zerka lifted the Atlas Lions ahead of hosts Ghana, winners over Guinea 24 hours earlier, to the top of Group A.

But the win came with a price, a heavy one after hat-trick hero Alloudi suffered right knee ligament injury which may keep him out of Morocco's next game against Guinea on Thursday.

Henri Michel, who took over as coach of Morocco after guiding the Ivory Coast to the final in 2006, said: "It's early days but it looks as though we might be missing his services for our next game.

"It's frustrating, as he was in form."
The widely travelled Frenchman added: "I'm very satisfied. We opened the scoring quickly and then controlled the game.
"It's a sign of a good team that we didn't fall into the trap of getting complacent."

For his Namibian counterpart, Arien Schans, this was only his third game in charge after being called up at the last minute following the death of former coach Ben Bamfuchile in late December.
"I was very disappointed with the way we played in the first five minutes. I told the players at half-time they were like schoolkids against professionals.
"Even without international experience you can't behave like that at this level," the Dutchman observed.
After Sunday's full house to watch hosts Ghana beat Guinea the Ohene Djan stadium ressembled a virtual morgue with only pockets of supporters dotted around the stands.
The handful that did turn up were treated to a feisty Morocco evidently intent on atoning for their last tame appearance in this competition, in Egypt in 2006 when they were sent home without scoring a single goal.
Their African Nations Cup goal famine lasted all of two minutes as Henri Michel's slick side went ahead with virtually the first move of the game.

Captain Youssef Safri set the ball rolling for the Atlas Lions, Marouane Chamakh racing onto the Southampton midfielder's long ball.
Chamakh, who plays his club football in France with Bordeaux, beat his marker with his shot hitting the near post but the opportunity didn't go abegging as Alloudi was on hand to slot the ball into an open net.
Namibia's defenders barely had time to draw breath when they were undone for a second time after a neat 1-2 between Youssef Hadji and Alloudi who slotted past keeper Abisia Shiningayamwe.

But the Namibians aren't called the Brave Warriors for nothing and they were rewarded for their mini fight back in the 22nd minute when Collin Benjamin set up midfielder Brian Brendell whose close range shot sailed past Shanangayamwe.
Morocco cut short Namibia's celebrations when Sektioui sent the ball flying into the box from the left corner for United Arab Emirates-based Alloudi to bag his three-timer.

And Sektioui joined the goal fest himself, the Porto player converting a 39th minute penalty awarded by Cameroonian referee Evehe Divine after the felling of Michael Basser by a Namibian defender.

At around the hour mark hat-trick hero Alloudi was carted off on an electric golf buggy after suffering his injury.
Yet Morocco still had enough firepower left to deepen Namibia's misery with substitute Zerka heading in a corner in the 73rd minute,
For Namibia this was a record defeat, surpassing the 4-1 loss inflicted by South Africa in Burkina Faso 10 years ago.
For Morocco, Nations Cup winners 32 years ago, as well as getting in some sharp shooting practise a last-eight place now lies within their grasp, something they have failed to manage in three of their last four Nations Cup appearances.