By Ahmed Mulange
RABAT, Morocco – The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finally kicked off with hosts Morocco defeating Comoros 2-0 in a Group A match.
Played under a wet pitch because of rain Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi netted the two goals for the Atlas Lions at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The home side continued to attack, but the Comoros team defended in numbers.
“It’s never easy to get into the competition,” said Morocco coach Walid Regragui, who guided the side to the semifinals of the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“An opening match is always difficult, but we did the job. It was important to win our first match, in front of our fans, to get off to a good start in the competition.
“The game got off to a bad start, with that missed penalty and Romain Saiss being substituted.”
The Morocco captain, who had spent the first half of the year sidelined following ankle surgery, went off injured after 18 minutes in tears after an innocuous push.
Morocco can expect a tougher task against Mali in their next game Friday.
