AFCON: Regragui says Morocco win against Comoros ‘good sign’

Despite admitting a slow start to their fixture against Comoros, Morocco coach Walid Regragui believes the 2-0 victory in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opener is a positive start to a team seeking to win the AFCON on home soil.

In the Group A fixture at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, second-half goals from Brahim Díaz and Ayoub El Kaabi were enough to propel the Pharaohs past a stubborn Comoros side.

Morocco scored their first goal when a cross from Noussair Mazraoui found Diaz inside the area, and he scored with a first time effort. Before substitute Ayoub El Kaabi sealed the emphatic win with an acrobatic overhead kick that left the goalkeeper rooted to the ground.

‘It was important to win the first match’

“We have been preparing for this game for a year and a half. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We had a bad start; with the missed penalty and the injury-forced exit of Romain Saïss,” said Regragui as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

“At half-time, I wasn’t very satisfied with the team, and we spoke to put certain adjustments in place, which the players applied very quickly. We fixed that in the second half with the substitutions and the intensity we showed in the first half.

“As soon as we scored our two goals, we took control. It’s a good sign. It was important to win the first match in front of our supporters. It’s a great way to start the tournament.”

The victory propelled Morocco to the top of Group A ahead of their remaining group fixtures against Mali and Zambia. For Comoros, they will need to win against Mali, and Zambia to be assured of a place in the knockout stages.

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