In a rain-slicked showcase that captured both the immense pressure and thrilling promise of tournament football, hosts Morocco began their quest for a second Africa Cup of Nations title with a 2-0 victory over the determined Comoros in Rabat.
The opening match of the 2025 continental finals, played before a capacity crowd of over 60,000 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, was a tale of two halves defined by stubborn resistance, a moment of sublime individual brilliance, and the relentless weight of expectation on the shoulders of the tournament favorites.
From the ceremonial kick-off taken by Morocco’s Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan amidst a teeming downpour, the stage was set for a contest of starkly contrasting realities. Morocco, Africa’s highest-ranked nation and a recent World Cup semifinalist, stood 97 places above their opponents from the Indian Ocean archipelago in the global standings.
The Atlas Lions, as articulated by coach Walid Regragui before the match, carried not just the hope of a nation but the explicit ambition to win the trophy on home soil. Comoros, competing in only their second-ever AFCON finals, arrived with a vastly different mission: to organize, to resist, and to defy the overwhelming odds with discipline and heart.
The script seemed to be following its predicted course within the first ten minutes. Morocco, controlling possession and tempo from the outset, earned a penalty when Brahim DÃaz was brought down in the area by Iyad Mohamed.
The opportunity to seize an early lead and settle the host nation’s nerves fell to Soufiane Rahimi, but Comoros’s young goalkeeper Yannick Pandor, who plays in Belgium’s second division, wrote the first chapter of his personal standout performance. Guessing correctly, Pandor kept his composure and used his left knee to parry Rahimi’s centrally-placed spot-kick away to safety, momentarily silencing the raucous home support.
That save galvanized the underdogs, who settled into a deep, compact defensive block, frustrating Morocco’s intricate attacks for the remainder of the half. The hosts’ frustrations were compounded when their captain and experienced center-back Romain Saïss, only recently returned from a long-term ankle injury, was forced to limp off in tears after just 18 minutes, casting a shadow over the victory even before it was secured.
A sense of palpable anxiety lingered in the air at halftime with the score locked at 0-0, the missed penalty a stark reminder of the fine margins in tournament openers. The narrative, however, began to shift decisively ten minutes after the restart.
A moment of quality finally pierced Comoros’s resilient rearguard. Full-back Noussair Mazraoui displayed admirable determination to keep the ball in play near the byline before cutting it back across the face of the goal.
There, arriving with perfect timing in the heart of the penalty area, was the influential Brahim DÃaz. The Real Madrid maestro made no mistake, sweeping a controlled right-footed finish into the net to score the first goal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and unleash a cathartic roar from the packed stands.
The goal forced Comoros to alter their approach, abandoning their defensive shell in search of an equalizer. For a brief period, the game opened up, and the visitors carved out their best chance.
Forward Rafiki Saïd found himself through on goal, only to be denied by a crucial save from Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who spread his legs to make the block. It was a warning shot that reminded Morocco of the contest’s precarious nature, but any lingering doubts were spectacularly erased in the 74th minute.
The moment of magic that will define this opening match came from substitute Ayoub El Kaabi, who had entered the fray just ten minutes earlier. After playing a pass out wide, the Olympiacos striker continued his run into the box.
When the returned cross from Anass Salah-Eddine floated into his vicinity, El Kaabi contorted his body to unleash a breathtaking overhead scissor-kick that sent the ball rocketing past the helpless Pandor. It was a strike of pure audacity and technical excellence, an early and strong contender for the goal of the tournament that transformed the stadium’s tension into unbridled celebration.
The stunning goal effectively sealed the three points for Morocco, though Pandor continued his heroic performance with several more saves to keep the scoreline respectable, including a fine tip over the bar from a Youssef En-Nesyri drive. The final whistle confirmed a 2-0 victory, extending Morocco’s remarkable world-record run of consecutive wins to 19 matches.
Yet, the post-match reflections from both camps acknowledged a complex reality. Morocco’s defender Romain Saïss conceded, “Not everything was perfect. But it’s a first match. I know we’re going to grow stronger”. Coach Walid Regragui echoed the sentiment of a job done amid difficulty, stating, “The opening game is always difficult but we came good in the second half”.
For Comoros, there was pride in the performance despite the defeat. Goalkeeper Yannick Pandor, undoubtedly his team’s standout performer, reflected on his series of saves, noting they could prove valuable for goal difference later in the group stage. “We try to give everything,” he said, capturing the spirit of a team that, for 55 minutes, successfully shackled one of the continent’s powerhouses.
The result leaves Morocco atop Group A with three points, while Comoros will look to regroup ahead of their next fixture.
Beyond the pitch, the match served as the opening act for a tournament that FIFA President Gianni Infantino has promised will be “historic”. Held in Morocco for the first time in decades, this AFCON has already been marked by significant off-field news, including the Confederation of African Football’s announcement that the tournament will shift from a biennial to a quadrennial event starting in 2028.