El Kaabi's Stunning Goal Secures The Atlas Lions' Victory Over Comoros in Afcon Opener.
The the Moroccan side shook off a anxious start to overcome Comoros in the competition's first match on Sunday, thanks to Brahim Díaz and super-sub El Kaabi in the latter period.
This constituted a less than dominant showing, though, from the strongly favored Moroccans, who are ranked 97 places above the tiny island nation in the world rankings and were forced to grind out for the points in wet conditions at Rabat's national stadium.
Nervy Start and Spurned Chances
Morocco missed an first-half penalty and were goalless at half-time despite controlling the ball, finally opening the scoring in the 55th minute.
It came when Noussair Mazraoui did well to prevent the ball from going out before slipping it across for Díaz to sidefoot home.
Every first match is always difficult but we came good in the second half,” said Morocco coach Walid Regragui.
The Substitute's Moment of Magic
Any lingering nerves was subsequently eased by a moment of pure genius from Ayoub El Kaabi. Just 10 minutes following coming on, the striker connected with a cross with a acrobatic overhead kick in the 74th minute, doubling and ensuring the result.
Earlier in the match, the hosts might have taken the lead in the 11th minute after a spot-kick was awarded for a foul on Brahim Díaz. Yet, Rahimi's effort was saved by Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor.
Comoros Resistance and Second-Half Opportunity
Comoros comfortably held Morocco at bay until the hosts' superior firepower eventually told.
Goalkeeper Pandor made a number of further good stops to keep down the score as the match progressed, even though Comoros did have a chance for an equaliser shortly following Díaz's goal, with Rafiki Saïd shooting straight at keeper Yassine Bounou.
Injury Worry for Hosts
The victory was partially overshadowed by an apparent injury to Morocco's skipper, Saïss, who was forced off after the 18th minute in tears.
This centre-back had just returned to the international setup last month after a lengthy layoff caused by a serious ankle operation.
This result extends Morocco's record-breaking run of consecutive victories to 19, beating the previous best of 15 set by Spain from 2008 and 2009.
