Rabat – Morocco began their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 2 0 victory over Comoros at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat on Sunday night, shaking off early nerves to secure three points in Group A.
The hosts, coached by Walid Regragui, broke stubborn resistance from Comoros through second half goals by Brahim Diaz and substitute Ayoub El Kaabi, after a scoreless first half played in heavy rain before a near capacity crowd.
Morocco, one of the tournament favourites and grouped alongside Mali, Zambia and Comoros, dominated possession from the opening whistle but were frustrated by disciplined defending and inspired goalkeeping from Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor. The keeper denied Soufiane Rahimi from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after VAR awarded Morocco a spot kick, setting the tone for a resilient Comoros display.
The first half also saw a setback for the hosts when captain Romain Saiss was forced off with injury in the 19th minute, disrupting Morocco’s rhythm as Comoros grew in confidence through counter attacks led by Rafiki Said.
After the break, Morocco increased the tempo and were rewarded in the 56th minute when Noussair Mazraoui found space on the right and picked out Diaz, who finished calmly to give the home side the lead.
Comoros continued to battle and Pandor produced a series of saves to keep his side in contention, but the pressure eventually told. In the 74th minute, El Kaabi sealed the result with a spectacular overhead kick, moments after coming on, sending the Rabat crowd into celebration.
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