Hosts Morocco kicked off their quest for a second Africa Cup of Nations title with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a resilient Comoros side in the tournament opener at a rain-soaked Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
The Atlas Lions, without influential captain Achraf Hakimi who remained on the bench due to an ankle injury, dominated possession but were frustrated by Comoros’ deep defense and goalkeeper Yannick Pandor in the first half. An early penalty won after Iyad Mohamed fouled Brahim Díaz in the box was saved brilliantly by Pandor, denying Soufiane Rahimi from the spot in the 11th minute.
Morocco also suffered an early setback when centre-back Romain Saïss was forced off with injury, replaced by Jawad El Yamiq.
The breakthrough came 10 minutes into the second half when Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz was left unmarked to sweep home a low cross from Noussair Mazraouï, igniting the crowd of over 60,000.
The game opened up thereafter, with Comoros forward Rafiki Saïd denied by Yassine Bounou’s legs and Mazraouï’s effort palmed away by Pandor.
Substitute Ayoub El Kaabi then produced a moment of magic in the 74th minute, netting a sensational overhead kick—an early contender for goal of the tournament—to double the lead and secure the three points for Walid Regragui’s side.
The win extends Morocco’s world-record unbeaten streak to 19 consecutive victories and marks a positive start on home soil, where Regragui has declared anything short of the title a failure. Backed by massive infrastructure investments ahead of co-hosting the 2030 World Cup, the Atlas Lions—Africa’s top-ranked team since their historic 2022 World Cup semifinal run—navigated a potential banana skin against Stefano Cusin’s stubborn Comoros.
Tougher challenges await, starting with Mali on Friday (20:00 GMT) in Group A. Comoros showed promising signs in only their second AFCON appearance and will look to build on this performance.
Monday features three matches: Mali vs Zambia (Group A), followed by Egypt and South Africa beginning their Group B campaigns. The tournament, now set to shift to every four years from 2028, runs until January 18, 2026.
