El Kaabi’s stunning strike caps Morocco’s win over Comoros in Afcon opener

The Africa Cup of Nations hosts, Morocco, overcame a nervy start to beat Comoros in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday after Brahim Díaz and the substitute Ayoub El Kaabi scored second-half goals.

It was a far from convincing showing, however, from highly fancied Morocco who are 97 places above the small Indian Ocean island nation in the world rankings and had to toil hard for the points in the rain at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium.

Morocco missed an early penalty and were goalless at half-time despite dominating possession, eventually breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute when Noussair Mazraoui did well to keep the ball from going out of play before passing it square for Díaz to sidefoot home.

El Kaabi then scored with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 74th minute, 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute, to ease the tension.

Morocco looked initially to be labouring under a heavy burden of expectation and Comoros comfortably held them at bay before the superior firepower of the hosts ensured victory.

The hosts could have been ahead in the 11th minute after a soft penalty awarded for a challenge by Iyad Mohamed on Díaz. But Soufiane Rahimi hit the spot-kick straight down the middle, striking the knee of the goalkeeper Yannick Pandor and watching the ball loop away to safety. But they eventually broke down the resistance as Díaz got deserved rewards for his continual probing and El Kaabi’s goal ensured a respectable scoreline.

Pandor made several other good stops to keep down the score in the closing stages as his teammates began to tire, although Comoros had a chance for an equaliser four minutes after Díaz’s goal but Rafiki Saïd shot straight at the Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in their first chance of the match.

“The opening game is always difficult but we came good in the second half,” said the Morocco coach, Walid Regragui, after his team extended their record-breaking run of successive victories by a national team to 19. In October they went past the previous best of 15, set by Spain from 2008-09.

There will be concern in the home camp, however, after their captain, Romain Saïss, limped off after 18 minutes, the centre-back leaving the field in tears. He spent the first half of the year sidelined by ankle surgery and only last month returned to the national side after a year’s absence.