El Kaabi Seals Morocco’s Perfect AFCON Start After Díaz Breakthrough

21/12/2025

Two second-half goals from Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi kicked off Morocco’s TotalEnergies AFCON campaign in style. Playing on home soil, the Atlas Lions secured a thrilling victory to claim all three points in their opening group match.

Tactical Setup and Early Drama

Morocco lined up in a 4-3-3 formation, though manager Walid Regragui raised eyebrows pre-game by leaving several big names out of the starting XI. Conversely, Comoros coach Stefano Cusin stuck with his old guards, led by the veteran captain Youssouf M’Changama.

As expected, Morocco dominated possession from the whistle, while Comoros maintained a disciplined defensive block. The deadlock nearly broke in the 9th minute when Morocco was awarded a penalty after Imsane M’Madi fouled Brahim Díaz—who cleverly initiated contact in the box. However, Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor guessed correctly, diving to make a spectacular save to deny Rahimi and the hosts from a certain lead.

Injury Woes and VAR Tension

Morocco faced an early setback in the 18th minute when captain Romain Saïss was forced off with an apparent muscle injury while tracking back against Said Bakari. He was replaced by Jawad El Yamiq.

The match grew physical, with the first yellow card coming in the 36th minute after Yannick Kari’s heavy challenge on Azzedine Ounahi. Tension peaked just before the interval during a lengthy VAR check in the 44th minute. Díaz went down after being sandwiched between two defenders, but the referee ultimately ruled that the ball had struck the Real Madrid man’s hand before the tumble.

In added on time, Díaz was back in the thick of the action, earning a yellow card in the 48th minute for a late challenge on the goalkeeper

The Breakthrough

The latter redeemed himself in the 55th minute. Noussair Mazraoui delivered a sharp low cross from the left, finding Brahim Díaz unmarked in the area to slot past Yannick Pandor for the opener.

The goal injected life into the match. Four minutes later, Yassine Bounou was called into action to preserve the lead, using his feet to make a vital save after Said Bakari wriggled through the defense to find a shooting angle.

Impact Substitutions

In the 65th minute, Walid Regragui looked to his bench, introducing Abde Ezzalzouli for Ounahi and Ayoub El Kaabi for Soufiane Rahimi. Comoros responded with their own tactical shifts, bringing on Abdel-Hakim Abdallah and Saïd Bakari.

The Moroccan changes paid dividends almost immediately. In the 74th minute, Ayoub El Kaabi—continuing the scintillating form he has shown for Olympiacos—doubled the lead. Following a precise cross from Salah-Eddine Mraouni, El Kaabi executed a spectacular overhead kick to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

Looking Ahead

With the game secured, Morocco saw out the final minutes with further substitutions, bringing on Bilal El Khannouss and Youssef En-Nesyri.

Morocco will look to carry this momentum into their next match against Mali on Friday, December 26th. Comoros will face a must-win fixture against Zambia as they fight to keep their tournament hopes alive.

Monday, December 22nd Fixtures: