AFCON’s opening night did not disappoint in the slightest as hosts Morocco saw Comoros off with a 2-0 victory. Goals from Brahim Diaz and an early Goal of the Tournament contender from Ayoub El-Kaabi, a stunning bicycle kick, were enough to seal the win for the Atlas Lions. Comoros however, gave a great account of themselves and could have scored one or two themselves.
Ismael Saibari, Sofiane Rahimi and Brahim Diaz were the front 3 for Morocco in their 4-3-3 set-up. Midfield talent, Azzedine Ounahi was also amongst the starters. Rafiki Said started up top in the 4411 set-up for Comoros, with Youssouf M’Changama just behind him. Benjaloud Youssouf and Faïz Selemani were on the right and left flanks respectively.
From minute 1,Morocco looked to assert their dominance immediately, and it did not take long for the match to spark into life. The early tactical blueprint was clear: Morocco intended to suffocate Comoros with possession, utilizing the technical grace of players like Azzedine Ounahi and Brahim Díaz to pull the island nation’s defensive shape apart.
The first major turning point arrived between the 9th and 11th minutes. Brahim Díaz, making his tournament debut on home soil, showcased his trademark quick feet in the penalty area, drawing a desperate foul from Yannis Kari. The referee pointed to the spot, offering the Atlas Lions a golden opportunity to settle any opening-night nerves. Soufiane Rahimi stepped up, but his low, central penalty lacked the adequate amount of placement to beat Yannick Pandor. The Comoros goalkeeper, who would become a recurring protagonist in this drama, stood his ground and saved the effort with his legs, a moment that sent a shockwave of silence through the Rabat crowd.
As the hosts attempted to recover from the penalty miss, a much more somber moment occurred in the 18th minute. Morocco’s captain and defensive anchor, Romain Saïss, went down off the ball. The sight of the veteran defender leaving the pitch in tears signaled a significant blow to the Moroccan backline. In the 20th minute, Jawad El Yamiq was introduced to steady the ship, but the emotional toll of losing their leader was evident in the minutes that followed. Morocco’s dominance in possession remained statistically staggering, completing 147 passes to Comoros’ 29 by the midpoint of the half, but their final ball remained elusive.
Azzedine Ounahi, tasked with being the creative engine, attempted to break the deadlock in the 26th minute with a speculative effort from distance. While Ounahi is often the creative cheat code for the Atlas Lions, this particular shot failed to trouble the target, sailing high and wide into the stands. The frustration began to boil over as Comoros dug in; Yannis Kari, the man who conceded the earlier penalty, was finally booked in the 37th minute for a late challenge as he struggled to contain the Moroccan onslaught.
The closing stages of the first half were defined by high-stakes VAR drama. In the 42nd minute, Brahim Díaz appeared to be fouled in the box for a second time, and the stadium erupted in appeals for another penalty. However, after a lengthy and tense review by the officiating team, the referee determined that Díaz had actually committed a handball in the frantic buildup. The decision was overturned, further compounding Morocco’s first-half misery. To make matters worse, Díaz himself was shown a yellow card in the fourth minute of stoppage time for dissent, a clear indication of the rising temperaments on the pitch as the teams headed into the tunnel.
The second half began with a renewed sense of urgency from Walid Regragui’s side. In the 48th minute, Neil El Aynaoui found himself with a golden opportunity just yards from goal, but his side-footed effort agonizingly struck the side netting. However, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 55th minute through a moment of individual clinical brilliance. Noussair Mazraoui, showing great persistence on the right flank, kept a deep ball alive and squared it into the path of Brahim Díaz. The Real Madrid man made no mistake this time, tucking a composed right-footed finish into the bottom corner to make it 1–0.
Comoros, to their immense credit, did not collapse. In the 59th minute, they nearly silenced the home crowd entirely. A rare lapse in communication within the Moroccan defense allowed Rafiki Saïd to break completely clean through on goal. It was a moment that demanded a world-class intervention, and Yassine Bounou delivered, standing tall to block the shot and preserve the lead. Sensing the need to kill the game off, Regragui made a decisive double substitution in the 66th minute, introducing Abde Ezzalzouli and Ayoub El Kaabi to refresh a tiring frontline.
The final twenty minutes belonged to the substitute El Kaabi and the Comoros goalkeeper Pandor. In the 70th minute, Pandor produced perhaps the save of the tournament so far, parrying a fierce Mazraoui strike before reacting instantly to block El Yamiq’s follow-up from point-blank range. But even Pandor could do nothing about what happened in the 74th minute. Ayoub El Kaabi engaged in a sharp one-two with Anass Salah-Eddine on the edge of the area. As the ball looped into the air, El Kaabi launched into a spectacular overhead bicycle kick. The contact was perfect, and the ball whistled into the net to double the lead and provide a moment of pure magic for the tournament’s highlight reel.
With the game effectively decided, Morocco utilized their bench depth, bringing on Bilal El Khannouss and Youssef En-Nesyri in the 77th minute. The match turned physical in the closing stages; Jawad El Yamiq earned a yellow card in the 79th minute for a cynical foul to halt a rare Comoros counter-attack. Comoros had one final look at goal in the 83rd minute when substitute Myziane Maolida found space on the edge of the area, but his wayward effort failed to test Bono. Pandor, the game’s busiest player, ensured the scoreline remained respectable with one final sprawling save to deny En-Nesyri in the 90th minute, bringing an end to a high-octane opening encounter.
