Morocco's team players celebrate a goal during the FIFA World Cup 2018 Africa Group C qualifying football match between Ivory Coast and Morocco at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, November 11, 2017. AFP/Issouf Sanogo

 

JOHANNESBURG: Morocco scored twice in five minutes during the first half to defeat the Ivory Coast 2-0 Saturday and qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Nabil Dirar opened the scoring off a cross-cum-shot on 25 minutes in Abidjan and Medhi Benatia doubled the lead after a corner on the half-hour.

Morocco ? whose last World Cup appearance was in 1998 ? won Group C with 12 points followed by the Ivory Coast with eight, Gabon six, and Mali four.