Hosts Morocco began their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 2–0 victory over Comoros in front of a capacity crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday night.
Second-half goals from Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi were enough to settle a contest that proved far more demanding than the scoreline suggested, as the hosts were forced to remain patient against a resilient Comorian side determined to spoil the party.
With the hosts missing captain Achraf Hakimi through injury, their worries were further deepened in the early stages of the game when stand in captain Romain Saïss was forced off following a heavy collision. The resilient Comoros side were to hold their host in the first half despite coming up against a vociferous crowd.
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The breakthrough arrived ten minutes after the restart. A sweeping move down the left ended with Noussair Mazraoui drilling a low cross into the box, where Brahim Díaz arrived with perfect timing to guide a composed finish beyond Pandor and ignite celebrations inside the stadium.
With the pressure lifted, Morocco played with greater freedom but Comoros continued to battle, but gaps began to appear. They were to be punished in the 73rd minute when Ayoub El Kaabi, introduced to add cutting edge, produced a moment of brilliance — meeting a delivery from Salah-Eddine with an acrobatic overhead kick that left the goalkeeper rooted and sealed the points.
From there, the hosts managed the game with maturity, slowing the tempo and limiting Comoros to half-chances as the clock ticked down. It was not a flamboyant display, but it was an efficient one — exactly the kind of performance expected from a tournament favourite.
The victory sends Morocco top of Group A ahead of the meeting between Mali and Zambia, while Comoros leave Rabat encouraged by their organisation but still searching for a breakthrough moment on the continental stage.
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