Perfect Start for Morocco at AFCON as They Achieve Victory Over Comoros

Morocco made a perfect start to the tournament, claiming a deserved 2–0 victory over Comoros in the opening match of the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The match was held at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat in the presence of the Moroccan Crown Prince, with a goalless first half before the “Atlas Lions” managed to break down their opponents’ defensive resistance after the break.

The opening goal came in the 55th minute through Ibrahim Díaz, following a long ball from Sofyan Amrabat into the penalty area. Noussair Mazraoui controlled the ball before laying it off to Díaz, who fired directly into the net.

Morocco doubled their advantage in the 74th minute with a second goal scored by Ayoub El Kaabi, who met a precise pass from Anass Salah-Eddine with a stunning overhead kick that found the back of the net.

With this win, Morocco extended their remarkable run of results, recording their nineteenth consecutive victory and surpassing the previous record held by Spain between 2008 and 2009.

Key Moments of the Match

The hosts applied early pressure, while the visitors relied on a compact defensive setup. In the 9th minute, Morocco were awarded a penalty after Díaz was brought down, but Sofyan Rahimi’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Yannick Pandor.

Notably, this was the first penalty missed by Rahimi with the Moroccan senior national team, and the first penalty save for Pandor while representing Comoros.

Despite Morocco’s repeated attempts in the first half, Comoros’ defensive organization prevented the deadlock from being broken. In the 43rd minute, Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala consulted VAR to review a potential penalty before deciding not to award it, bringing the first half to an end at 0–0 amid Moroccan protests.

At the start of the second half, Naïl El Aynaoui nearly opened the scoring in the 48th minute after meeting a precise cross from Anass Salah-Eddine, but his effort drifted just wide of the post.

Morocco’s pressure continued until the breakthrough arrived in the 55th minute, following a well-worked move that began in midfield through Amrabat and reached Mazraoui, whose driven pass found Díaz to finish confidently.

In the 64th minute, Mazraoui came close to adding a second after a quick exchange with Díaz, but Pandor intervened at the crucial moment to deny him.

The second goal arrived in the 74th minute to confirm Morocco’s dominance, as El Kaabi capitalized on a well-delivered pass from the left flank and finished with an excellent piece of skill.

The victory was slightly overshadowed by concern in the Moroccan camp after captain Romain Saïss was forced off the pitch in tears in the 18th minute. The defender had only recently returned from an ankle injury that had kept him sidelined for an extended period.

Group A action continues on Monday, with Mali facing Zambia in Casablanca, while Group B features two matches. The first sees Angola take on South Africa in Marrakesh, while the second promises to be a highlight as Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, face Zimbabwe in Agadir.