El Kaabi's Breathtaking Finish Wraps Up The Atlas Lions' Triumph Against Comoros in Africa Cup of Nations Opening Match.
The Morocco overcame a jittery start to beat Comoros in the competition's inaugural fixture on Sunday, after strikes by the Real Madrid attacker and substitute Ayoub El Kaabi in the latter period.
This constituted a less than dominant display, however, from the heavily tipped hosts, who are ranked 97 places higher than the tiny Indian Ocean nation in the FIFA rankings and had to work tirelessly for the three points in rainy conditions at the national stadium.
Nervy Beginning and Spurned Chances
The hosts missed an early penalty and were goalless at the interval despite dominating possession, eventually opening the scoring in the 55th minute.
It arrived after full-back Mazraoui did well to keep the ball in play before laying it square for Brahim Díaz to calmly pass home.
“The first match is invariably tough but we came good in the second half,” said manager Walid Regragui.
The Substitute's Moment of Magic
The tension was subsequently extinguished by a moment of pure genius from substitute El Kaabi. Just 10 minutes after coming on, the forward met a ball into the box with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 74th minute, making it two and ensuring the result.
Earlier in the match, the Moroccan team might have taken ahead in the 11th minute when a penalty was given for a foul on Díaz. However, Soufiane Rahimi penalty was kept out by Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor.
Comoros Defiant Stand and Second-Half Opportunity
Comoros stoutly defended against their more illustrious opponents for long periods before the hosts' superior firepower eventually made the difference.
Goalkeeper Yannick Pandor pulled off a number of other good stops to keep down the score as the game progressed, even though his team did have a chance for an equaliser shortly after the first goal, with Saïd firing directly into Morocco goalkeeper Bounou.
Fitness Worry for Hosts
The victory was partially overshadowed by an apparent injury to Morocco's captain, Romain Saïss, who was forced off in the first half in tears.
The defender had only made his comeback to the international setup last month after a year’s layoff caused by a serious ankle operation.
This result continues Morocco's record-breaking run of successive wins to nineteen, beating the previous best of 15 set by the Spanish national team from 2008 and 2009.
