- Clinical Morocco make winning start with second-half goals from Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi.
- Comoros frustrate hosts for long spells, defending deep and with discipline before eventually conceding.
- Group A leaders after opening night, as the Atlas Lions take early control of their AFCON 2025 campaign.
Morocco began their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 campaign with a controlled 2–0 victory over Comoros in front of a capacity crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday night.
Second-half goals from Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi were enough to settle a contest that proved far more demanding than the scoreline suggested, as the hosts were forced to remain patient against a resilient Comorian side determined to spoil the party.
Morocco dominated possession from the outset, circulating the ball with confidence and pinning Comoros deep inside their own half. Yet clear chances were scarce early on, with the visitors defending compactly and contesting every duel.
The first warning came inside five minutes when Selemani pounced on a loose touch in the Moroccan box, reminding the hosts of the fine margins on opening night.
The Atlas Lions thought they had an early breakthrough when Brahim Díaz burst into the area and won a penalty, but Yannick Pandor guessed correctly to deny Soufiane Rahimi from the spot.
That miss briefly unsettled the hosts, who continued to probe through set pieces and crosses, with Ismaël Saibari heading narrowly wide and Azzedine Ounahi testing the Comorian goalkeeper from range.
Morocco’s first half was further disrupted by the early injury to captain Romain Saïss, who was forced off following a heavy collision.
Despite their territorial control, Walid Regragui’s side went into the interval level, frustrated by a well-drilled Comorian back line.
The breakthrough finally arrived ten minutes after the restart. A sweeping move down the left ended with Noussair Mazraoui drilling a low cross into the box, where Brahim Díaz arrived with perfect timing to guide a composed finish beyond Pandor and ignite celebrations inside the stadium.
With the pressure lifted, Morocco played with greater freedom. Comoros continued to battle, but gaps began to appear.
The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Ayoub El Kaabi, introduced to add cutting edge, produced a moment of brilliance — meeting a delivery from Salah-Eddine with an acrobatic overhead kick that left the goalkeeper rooted and sealed the points.
From there, the hosts managed the game with maturity, slowing the tempo and limiting Comoros to half-chances as the clock ticked down.
It was not a flamboyant display, but it was an efficient one — exactly the kind of performance expected from a tournament favourite.
The victory sends Morocco top of Group A ahead of the meeting between Mali and Zambia, while Comoros leave Rabat encouraged by their organisation but still searching for a breakthrough moment on the continental stage.
Post-match reactions
Stefano Cusin – Comoros: “We were solid defensively. But in this kind of game, when opportunity knocks, you have to take it. The team showed a good face, and Comorians can be proud of their country. We can’t say we played badly because conceded two goals. Had Rafiki score to make it 1–1, the scenario could have been different. Morocco are a great team; we have to accept defeat against such a side.”
Walid Regragui – Morocco: “We have been preparing for this game for a year and a half. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We had a bad start; with the missed penalty and the injury-forced exit of Romain Saïss. At half-time, I wasn’t very satisfied with the team, and we spoke to put certain adjustments in place, which the players applied very quickly.”
SOURCED FROM CAFONLINE.
