Host nation Morocco began their quest for a second Africa Cup of Nations title with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Comoros in the tournament opener in Rabat. Played in rainy conditions before a crowd of 60,180 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the match saw the Atlas Lions, under immense pressure to deliver, overcome an early setback and a resilient opponent to claim the three points.
Host nation Morocco began their quest for a second Africa Cup of Nations title with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Comoros in the tournament opener in Rabat. Played in rainy conditions before a crowd of 60,180 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the match saw the Atlas Lions, under immense pressure to deliver, overcome an early setback and a resilient opponent to claim the three points.
The home side spurned a golden opportunity to take an early lead when Soufiane Rahimi saw his 11th-minute penalty saved by Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor. Frustrated by a compact and defensive Comoros side, Morocco finally broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half. Brahim Diaz, left unmarked in the box, calmly swept home Noussair Mazraoui's low cross to ignite the stadium. The game opened up thereafter, with both sides creating chances before substitute Ayoub El Kaabi sealed the win with a spectacular overhead kick with 15 minutes remaining.
The hosts achieved this opening victory despite notable absences. Influential captain Achraf Hakimi, still recovering from an ankle injury, was only fit for the bench, while key defender Romain Saiss was forced off with an injury early in the match. The win extended Morocco's world-record run of consecutive victories to 19, but a sterner test awaits against Mali on Friday.
The match kicked off a tournament marked by pre-event wrangles over player release dates and the recent announcement that AFCON will shift to a four-year cycle from 2028. For Morocco, however, the focus is solely on ending a 49-year continental title drought. As the top-ranked African side since their historic 2022 World Cup semi-final run, and with massive investment in football infrastructure backed by King Mohammed VI, coach Walid Regragui has acknowledged that "anything other than victory will be a failure." While bigger challenges lie ahead, the relieved home fans will be content that their team successfully navigated a potential opening-night upset.
