RABAT: Hosts Morocco overcame early nerves to beat Comoros 2-0 in the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday. Brahim Diaz and substitute Ayoub El Kaabi scored second-half goals to secure victory at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.
Read More: African stars Salah and Hakimi eyeing 2026 World Cup
Despite being 97 places above Comoros in the FIFA rankings, Morocco struggled early and were goalless at halftime, even after dominating possession. They squandered an early penalty in the 11th minute when Soufiane Rahimi's spot-kick struck goalkeeper Yannick Pandor's knee and looped to safety.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 55th minute when Noussair Mazraoui kept the ball in play and set up Diaz for a side-foot finish. El Kaabi sealed the win with a trademark bicycle kick in the 74th minute, just 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Comoros showed resilience, with Pandor making several key saves to keep the scoreline low. The small island nation even had a chance to equalise shortly after Diaz's goal, but Rafiki Said shot straight at Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui acknowledged the opening game was challenging but praised his team for improving in the second half. The win extended Morocco's record of successive victories by a national team to 19, surpassing Spain's previous record of 15 set between 2008 and 2009.
However, concerns remain as captain Romain Saiss limped off after just 18 minutes due to an ankle issue. He had only recently returned to the national side following a year-long absence.
Read More: Salah takes Egypt through on penalties as two Cup of Nations matches moved
The AFCON action continues on Monday with Group A clash Mali vs Zambia in Casablanca, and two Group B matches: Angola vs South Africa in Marrakech, and Mohamed Salah leading Egypt against Zimbabwe in Agadir.