AFCON 2025: Can Comoros spoil Morocco's party in opening match?

Morocco are set to kick off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign against Comoros this Sunday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat at 10 pm (East African Time).

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Hosting the tournament for the first time since 1988, the Atlas Lions will be eager to open their campaign with a win in front of a home crowd hungry for glory.

In the 2023 edition, Morocco began strongly with a 3-0 victory over Tanzania, courtesy of goals from Romain Saiss, Azzedine Ounahi, and Youssef En-Nesyri, all of whom feature in the current squad.

However, their journey ended abruptly with a 2-0 Round of 16 defeat to South Africa, a setback the team is determined to avoid this year.

In preparation for this tournament, Morocco has been meticulous.

Head coach Walid Regragui and his technical staff have focused on every aspect of performance, from tactics to fitness.

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Managing key absences and ensuring the readiness of players like Achraf Hakimi, Hamza Igamane, and Sofyan Amrabat has been central to the team’s final adjustments.

Regragui stressed the importance of preparation and mindset ahead of the opener:

"We have been working for two years. It will be a big day at home. Our objective has always been to win the AFCON and to give everything. Our supporters are with us."

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On Hakimi’s availability, he added:

"He may start, or he may not. Every match is important. We will have to manage emotions and play with confidence and humility."

For Comoros, this is only their second AFCON appearance, following an impressive qualifying campaign that saw them top a group including Tunisia.

Their debut in 2021 ended with a narrow 1-0 loss to Gabon, but they exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout stage.

Known as Les Coelacantes, Comoros will aim for a strong start before facing Zambia and Mali in the group stages.

Coach Stefano Cusin expressed pride ahead of the fixture:

"It is an exceptional opportunity to showcase our country and our team. Morocco is extremely competitive, with or without Hakimi. We are looking for the right balance between defense and attack."

Midfielder Youssouf M’Changama echoed his sentiments: "Playing in the opening match is a great source of pride. We want to continue raising the level of Comorian football."

Morocco enters the match in fine form, remaining unbeaten since their loss to South Africa last January.

As Africa’s highest-ranked team and with home advantage, the Atlas Lions are clear favorites to claim all three points.

Comoros, by contrast, has struggled in recent outings, losing three of its last four matches.

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Their primary goal may be to keep the scoreline respectable against a vastly superior Moroccan side in what promises to be a challenging opener.

The two sides have met only once in official competition, during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, when Morocco secured a 2-0 home win.

Circumstances have changed since then, but in Rabat, the Atlas Lions remain favorites to start their campaign with a statement victory.