Morocco stayed composed and eventually broke through
Em solo marroquino, onde a expectativa já era quase uma certeza, a Copa Africana das Nações teve sua abertura com o Marrocos confirmando seu papel de anfitrião e favorito ao superar Comores por 2 a 0. A partida, disputada em Rabat no domingo, revelou não apenas a diferença técnica entre as seleções, mas também a resiliência de uma equipe modesta diante de um adversário muito superior. O futebol, como sempre, lembrou que o placar inevitável raramente chega sem resistência.
- Um pênalti desperdiçado nos primeiros dez minutos lançou uma sombra de incerteza sobre o Marrocos, que precisou recalcular o caminho para a vitória.
- Comores, 108ª no ranking FIFA e em apenas sua segunda participação no torneio, fechou os espaços com disciplina e manteve o placar zerado por mais de 50 minutos.
- A virada de jogo veio com Achraf Mazraoui cruzando rasteiro para Brahim Diaz concluir sem marcação — o gol que quebrou a resistência comorense.
- El Kaabi encerrou qualquer dúvida com uma bicicleta precisa que dobrou a vantagem e deu ao torneio seu primeiro momento de beleza técnica.
- O Marrocos segue invicto em sua trajetória rumo ao segundo título continental, com Mali pela frente na sexta-feira e a memória de 1976 como motivação.
O Marrocos abriu a Copa Africana das Nações com uma vitória por 2 a 0 sobre Comores no Estádio Príncipe Moulay Abdallah, em Rabat, num domingo em que o resultado esperado demorou mais do que o previsto para se confirmar. A seleção anfitriã, décima primeira no ranking mundial, tinha pela frente uma equipe que ocupa a 108ª posição e disputava apenas sua segunda edição do torneio — mas Comores não veio para facilitar.
Logo nos primeiros minutos, Brahim Diaz foi derrubado na área e o árbitro marcou pênalti. Rahimi cobrou direto nas mãos do goleiro Pandor, desperdiçando a chance de abrir o placar cedo. O erro não abalou o Marrocos, mas abriu espaço para que Comores se organizasse defensivamente e resistisse durante todo o primeiro tempo, mantendo o placar em 0 a 0 com disciplina e compactação.
O segundo tempo trouxe mais espaço e mais perigo. O gol marroquino saiu aos dez minutos da etapa final: Mazraoui cruzou rasteiro pela direita e Brahim Diaz, livre na área, completou para o fundo da rede. O meia do Real Madrid havia sido o jogador mais influente em campo, e o gol foi o prêmio merecido por sua atuação.
El Kaabi fechou a conta com uma bicicleta que entrou no ângulo após troca de passes com Salah-Eddine — o tipo de gol que marca uma estreia de torneio. O Marrocos ainda criou outras oportunidades, mas o 2 a 0 já bastava. Na sexta-feira, a seleção anfitriã enfrenta Mali pelo Grupo A, enquanto Comores mede forças com a Zâmbia. Para o Marrocos, o caminho rumo ao segundo título continental — o primeiro desde 1976 — segue no trilho certo.
Morocco opened the African Cup of Nations on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Comoros at Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, a result that felt inevitable even when it seemed uncertain. The host nation, ranked fourth at the last World Cup and eleventh globally, was always expected to advance from this match. Comoros, making only their second appearance in the tournament and sitting 108th in the FIFA rankings, had other ideas—at least for stretches of the game.
The opening minutes suggested Morocco might run away with it. Within ten minutes, Brahim Diaz was brought down in the penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot. Rahimi stepped up to take it and sent his shot straight at goalkeeper Pandor, who made an easy save. It was the kind of moment that could have deflated a team, but Morocco had the luxury of playing at home, with their supporters behind them and time on their side.
Comores set up shop defensively and waited. They packed bodies around their goal, looked for chances to break forward, and largely succeeded in keeping Morocco at bay through the first half. The home side dominated possession and territory but created few genuine scoring opportunities. Comores managed one shot of note before halftime, nothing that troubled goalkeeper Bono. It was a stalemate of sorts—Morocco pressing, Comores resisting, neither team able to find the breakthrough.
The second half opened up the game. Space began to appear on the pitch, and Morocco became more direct and dangerous. Comoros, sensing they might steal something, pushed forward on the counter and nearly equalized at one point, forcing Morocco to defend seriously. The tournament's first goal came in the 10th minute of the second half when Achraf Mazraoui, the Manchester United fullback, sent a low cross from the right wing into the box. Brahim Diaz, unmarked and waiting, finished the simple chance. The Real Madrid midfielder had been Morocco's most influential player all match, and he had his reward.
Morocco began to pile on chances after that, sensing they had broken through. But it was El Kaabi who sealed it with a moment of technical brilliance. After exchanging passes with Salah-Eddine, he struck a bicycle kick that bent perfectly into the net. It was the kind of goal that makes a tournament opener memorable, and it gave Morocco a commanding 2-0 lead with time still remaining. The home side had chances to extend the advantage further, but the match was already decided.
Morocco will face Mali on Friday in their next Group A match, while Comoros plays Zambia the same day. The African Cup format divides 24 teams into six groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing, along with the four best third-place finishers, to the knockout rounds. For Morocco, this opening victory positions them exactly where they expected to be—in control of their group and on track toward what would be their second continental title, their first having come in 1976. For Comoros, the work of staying competitive in this tournament begins now.
Notable Quotes
Morocco dominated the opening match despite squandering an early penalty, eventually securing a 2-0 victory— Match summary
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Morocco's opening match matter beyond the result itself?
Because Morocco is Brazil's opponent in the 2026 World Cup, and this tournament is their chance to build momentum and prove they're still a serious continental force. They're the favorites here, and favorites need to look the part.
But they struggled against Comoros, didn't they? They missed a penalty.
They did, and that's the interesting part. A weaker team might have collapsed after that miss. Instead, Morocco stayed composed, adjusted, and eventually broke through. That's a sign of a team with experience and depth.
What does Brahim Diaz's performance tell us?
That Morocco has the individual talent to unlock defenses. Diaz was the best player on the pitch—he created space, moved intelligently, and finished when the chance came. That's what you need against teams that sit deep and defend.
El Kaabi's bicycle kick—was that necessary, or just beautiful?
Both. It was unnecessary in terms of the scoreline, but it sent a message. Morocco wanted to show they could score in different ways, that they weren't just grinding out results. That matters psychologically in a tournament.
What's the real test coming up?
Mali on Friday. Mali is a different proposition—they'll be more organized, more dangerous on the break. That's when we'll see if Morocco's opening performance was genuine dominance or just the expected result against a weak opponent.