Hosts Morocco officially opened the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a professional 2–0 victory over Comoros on Sunday night at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
On a cold and rainy evening, the tournament favorites overcame early jitters and a missed penalty to claim all three points, delighting a capacity crowd of 60,180 that included Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The Atlas Lions dominated the first half but were repeatedly thwarted by Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor, who produced a heroic performance. The tension peaked in the 10th minute when Brahim Díaz was tripped in the box, but Soufiane Rahimi’s subsequent penalty was brilliantly saved by Pandor’s trailing legs.
The breakthrough finally came in the 55th minute when Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui delivered a precise low cross into the heart of the area, allowing Brahim Díaz to slot home his first-ever AFCON goal.
The victory was then sealed in the 74th minute by substitute Ayoub El Kaabi, who met a chipped ball from Anass Salah-Eddine with a sensational overhead bicycle kick—already being hailed as a potential Goal of the Tournament.
About the Author
