Morocco overcome early scare to launch AFCON campaign
Rabat’s Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah witnessed a tense start as host nation Morocco survived a chaotic first half to defeat Comoros 2-0 in their AFCON 2025 opener.
The Atlas Lions’ night began under pressure, with Soufiane Rahimi seeing a 15th-minute penalty saved by Comorian goalkeeper Yannick Pandor. The situation worsened minutes later as captain Romain Saïss was forced off injured.
A transformed Moroccan side emerged after halftime. The deadlock was broken in the 55th minute when Noussair Mazraoui’s cutback found Brahim Diaz, who calmly slotted home the tournament’s first goal.
Substitute Ayoub El Kaabi then sealed victory with a moment of brilliance, scoring an acrobatic bicycle kick from Anass Salah-Eddine’s cross in the 74th minute. The win marks a confident start for Walid Regragui’s side in front of an electric home crowd.
