Hosts Morocco struggled to break down Africa Cup of Nations minnows Comoros but eventually secured a 2-0 victory to kick off the tournament on Sunday. Goals from Brahim Diaz and substitute Ayoub El Kaabi in the second half sealed the win at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Despite being 97 places higher than Comoros in the FIFA rankings, Morocco faced a stern challenge from the small island nation, especially under rainy conditions. The home side dominated possession but were unable to find the net in the first half, even missing an early penalty.
The breakthrough came in the 55th minute when Noussair Mazraoui prevented the ball from going out of play and set up Diaz, who side-footed home for the opening goal. Ten minutes after coming off the bench, El Kaabi added a spectacular bicycle kick in the 74th minute to put the game beyond doubt.
Comoros, making their tournament debut, defended well and kept Morocco at bay for long periods. Morocco’s early penalty in the 11th minute, awarded for a challenge by Iyad Mohamed on Diaz, was struck down the middle by Soufiane Rahimi but hit goalkeeper Yannick Pandor and looped to safety. Comoros also had a brief chance to equalise after Diaz’s goal, but Rafiki Said’s shot was comfortably saved by Yassine Bounou.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui admitted the match was challenging. “The opening game is always difficult, but we came good in the second half,” he said.
The win extended Morocco’s record-breaking streak of consecutive victories by a national team to 19, surpassing Spain’s previous best of 15 from 2008-09. However, the hosts suffered an early setback as captain Romain Saiss limped off after just 18 minutes. The centre-back, returning to the national team after ankle surgery and a year-long absence, left the field in tears.
The tournament continues on Monday with Mali facing Zambia in Casablanca, while Group B action sees Angola play South Africa in Marrakesh and Mohamed Salah lead Egypt against Zimbabwe in Agadir.
