A hat- trick by Soufiane Alloudi propelled Morocco's senior national soccer team, the Atlas Lions, to a 5-1 victory over Namibia's Brave Warriors in a Group A match of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament played at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra on Monday.
Alloudi, who scored his first goal after one minute, scored again four minutes later to make it 2-0.
The Brave Warriors cut the deficit to 2-1 following Brian Brendell's left-foot shot that gave the Moroccan keeper Khalid Fouhami no chance.
But Alloudi, who was in sparkling form, scored his hat-trick in the 28thminute after Tarik Sektioui flicked on the ball for him to head past Abisia Shiningayamwe to make the score line 3-1.
Five minutes before the end of the first half, during which the Namibian side displayed neither ambition nor technical know-how, the Atlas Lions widened the gap to 4-1, thanks to a penalty converted by Tarik Sektioui.
The Moroccans scored their fifth goal in the 74th minute through substitute Moncef Zerka who headed the ball past hapless Shiningayamwe to bring the final score to 5-1.
The Atlas Lions top Group A on superior goal aggregate over Ghana who beat Guinea 2-1 in the opening game on Sunday.
Ghana will play Morocco while Guinea play Namibia on 24 January.