(Reuters) -Morocco set a new record of 16 successive victories by a national team as they completed their World Cup qualifying campaign with 1-0 home win over Congo on Tuesday.
Youssef En-Nesyri scored in the 63rd minute in Rabat to ensure Morocco finished their Group E programme with eight wins from eight matches, the only side in the African preliminaries with a 100% record.
The victory saw them go past the record of 15 that Spain set over a 12-month period between June 2008 and June 2009.
Morocco last failed to win an international when they drew 0-0 with Mauritania in a friendly in March 2024 but have since posted victories in seven World Cup qualifiers, six qualifiers for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals and three friendlies.
Morocco’s run does not include matches played by a B team made up only of home-based players that won the African Nations Championship in Kenya in August.
Morocco’s 19-month winning run saw them score 50 goals and concede four.
Spain began their run beating Russia 3-0 in the semi-final of the 2008 European Championship and their 15th consecutive win came with a 2-0 victory over hosts South Africa in their final group game in the 2009 Confederations Cup.
They lost their record when the United States beat them in the Confederations Cup semi-final in Bloemfontein.
During their winning streak Spain only conceded twice while scoring 39.
Morocco have yet to announce plans for friendlies in the November international window but at the end of the year host the Cup of Nations finals, where they meet Comorosin the opening game on December 21.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis)
