El Kaabi's Spectacular Finish Caps Morocco's Victory Over the Coelacanths in Afcon Opener.
The the Moroccan side shook off a jittery beginning to defeat Comoros in the tournament's opening game on the weekend, after strikes by the Real Madrid attacker and super-sub Ayoub El Kaabi in the second half.
It was a less than dominant showing, though, from the highly fancied Moroccans, who sit 97 places higher than the tiny island nation in the world rankings and were forced to work tirelessly for the points in rainy conditions at Rabat's national stadium.
Tense Beginning and Spurned Opportunities
The hosts failed to convert an early penalty and were goalless at half-time even with controlling possession, eventually opening the scoring in the 55th minute.
It arrived after full-back Mazraoui did well to prevent the ball from going out before laying it across for Díaz to sidefoot home.
“The first match is invariably tough but we came good in the second half,” said manager Regragui.
The Substitute's Moment of Brilliance
The tension was then extinguished by a moment of pure individual brilliance from substitute El Kaabi. Just 10 minutes following coming on, the forward connected with a cross with a stunning overhead kick in the 74th minute, doubling and sealing the result.
Earlier in the match, the Moroccan team could have been the lead in the 11th minute after a penalty was given for a challenge on Díaz. Yet, Soufiane Rahimi penalty was saved by Comoros goalkeeper Pandor.
Comoros Defiant Stand and Second-Half Chance
Comoros stoutly defended against Morocco for long periods until the hosts' superior firepower eventually told.
Shot-stopper Yannick Pandor made several further good stops to limit the score as the match progressed, although Comoros did have a clear opportunity for an equaliser shortly following the first goal, with Rafiki Saïd firing directly into Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Fitness Worry for Hosts
The victory was partially marred by an apparent injury to the captain, Romain Saïss, who limped off in the first half in tears.
This centre-back had just made his comeback to the international setup last month after a lengthy absence due to a serious ankle operation.
This result extends the team's record-breaking run of successive wins to 19, beating the previous best of 15 set by the Spanish national team between 2008 and 2009.
