Hosts Morocco began their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 campaign with a 2‑0 victory over Comoros in the tournament’s opening match in Rabat on Sunday night.
Gatekeepers News reports that Morocco struggled to finish their chances in a tight first half, even seeing a penalty by Soufiane Rahimi saved by Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor, but finally broke through in the second half when Brahim Diaz scored from close range after a low cross from Noussair Mazraoui in the 55th minute.
A spectacular overhead kick by substitute Ayoub El Kaabi in the 74th minute sealed the win for the Atlas Lions at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
The match marked the start of AFCON tournament, which runs in Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, and extended Morocco’s world‑record run of consecutive wins to 19 matches.
Despite dominating possession and creating several chances, Morocco went into halftime scoreless against a well‑organised Comoros defence that also held a few opportunities of its own.
The hosts kept pressure high after the break and eventually took the lead, calming the stadium before El Kaabi’s stunning bicycle kick ignited celebrations among the roughly 60,000 supporters on a rainy evening.
The result reinforces Morocco’s status as one of the favourites to go deep in the tournament as they prepare for Group A matches against Mali and Zambia later this week.
Elsewhere in AFCON 2025, other group fixtures are set to follow, with teams like South Africa, Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe kicking off their campaigns in the coming days.
