- Morocco vs Comoros ended 2–0 in favor of the Atlas Lions as the AFCON 2025 tournament got underway in Morocco.
- The opening match of the competition was played on Sunday, December 21, at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium.
- Second-half goals from Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi secured the victory and underlined Morocco’s dominance in Group A.
Morocco made a bold statement in the opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament as they managed to edge out Comoros 2-0 on Sunday night at a packed Prince Moulay Abdallah stadium.
As hosts, the Atlas Lions are among the heavyweights tipped to claim the tournament trophy- a prize they have coveted for almost 49 years.
True to expectations, they began their campaign emphatically in Group A. Despite an early first-half injury to captain Romain Saiss, they secured victory with two second-half goals: one from Real Madrid attacker Brahim Díaz and a spectacular late finish from super-sub Ayoub El Kaabi.
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Morocco vs Comoros AFCON 2025 match report
The hosts burst into the match with tremendous energy, dominating proceedings and creating their first clear chance in the sixth minute.
Soufiane Rahimi delivered an excellent cross into the box, but Neil El Aynaoui’s right-footed shot from the center was blocked.
Sustained pressure in the final third earned Morocco a penalty in the ninth minute when Iyad Mohamed fouled Brahim Diaz inside the area.
Rahimi stepped up to take the spot-kick, but his right-footed effort was miraculously saved by goalkeeper Yannick Pandor, diving to his bottom left corner.
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Morocco were forced into an early substitution in the 19th minute after captain Romain Saiss went down injured. After receiving treatment, he was replaced by Jawad El Yamiq.
Aside from sporadic clearances, Les Cœlacantes struggled to build momentum, failing to complete even half a century of passes by the half-hour mark as Morocco pressed relentlessly for the opener.
They came close again when El Aynaoui just failed to connect with another superb left-wing cross that flashed across the Comoros defence.
Around the half-hour, the hosts crafted another promising opportunity down the left. Sofyan Amrabat slipped a precise pass to Ismael Saibari, whose well-struck right-footed effort from the left side of the box drifted just wide.
Morocco thought they had won another penalty in the 43rd minute when Brahim Díaz surged into the area on the left and went down under a clumsy challenge from Ahmed Soilihi. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned as Díaz was adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up.
Having squandered several clear chances, the hosts entered halftime frustrated, while Comoros, relying on counter-attacks, could take some solace from reaching the break on level terms.
The second half began with Morocco picking up where they left off.
Within a minute of the restart, Anass Salah-Eddine whipped in a fine cross from the left that El Aynaoui met with a close-range effort, only to send it narrowly over.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 54th minute. After sustained possession in the attacking third, Noussair Mazraoui clipped a clever cross towards Diaz, who made no mistake in slotting home to send the home crowd into raptures.
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Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was called into action for the first time shortly after, when a defensive mix-up allowed Rafiki Said of Comoros to break through on the right. His left-footed shot was comfortably held by Bounou.
Just as Comoros began to show a glimmer of hope, a defensive error led to Morocco’s second- a stunning and flamboyant finish.
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Substitute Ayoub El Kaabi scored with a spectacular overhead kick in the 74th minute, meeting Salah-Eddine’s floated cross to double the lead.
Stefano Cusin’s side pushed for a consolation goal in the closing stages, but Morocco remained composed, regaining possession efficiently and seeing out the match to secure three crucial points and lay down an early marker in the tournament.
Morocco vs Comoros AFCON 2025 Lineups – Sunday, December 21, 2025
- Morocco: Yassine Bounou, Anass Salah-Eddine, Romain Saiss (Jawad El Yamiq 20′), Nayef Aguerd, Noussair Mazraoui, Neil El Aynaoui, Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, Ismael Saibari, Brahim Diaz, Soufiane Rahimi.
- Comoros: Yannick Pandor, Ismael Boura, Ahmed Soilihi, Kenan Toibibou, Iyad Mohamed, Benjaloud, Zaydou Youssouf, Yannis Kari, Youssouf M’Changama, Faiz Selemani, Rafiki Saïd.