By SCM Football Reoorter in Rabat
THE NEWLY-REBUILT Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium didn’t just host a football match last night—it staged a Moroccan earthquake.
In a cauldron of noise that felt more like a title decider than a group opener, tournament hosts Morocco survived a first-half penalty scare to dismantle a stubborn Comoros 2-0. Real Madrid sensation Brahim Diaz and supersub Ayoub El Kaabi were the heroes, but the real star of the show was the venue itself.
The 68,000-capacity arena in Rabat—fresh from a massive reconstruction—was a sea of red and green, pulsating with a “home advantage” that would have intimidated the world’s best. With FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Crown Prince Moulay Hassan watching from the VIP boxes, the atmosphere was a deafening statement of intent from the pre-tournament favorites.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Walid Regragui’s men. The hosts looked set for a dream start when Diaz was hacked down in the box after just 11 minutes.
But Comoros keeper Yannick Pandor turned spoiler, diving low to deny Soufiane Rahimi’s spot-kick and briefly silencing the 60,000-strong choir.
For 45 minutes, the tiny Indian Ocean island nation—ranked 108th in the world—held their breath and their lines. But under the Rabat lights, the pressure eventually became too much to bear.
Ten minutes into the second half, the roof nearly blew off. Noussair Mazraoui showed grit on the touchline to keep the ball alive before fizzing a low cross into the danger zone. Diaz, the man of the hour, was there to sidefoot home, sparking wild celebrations that shook the stadium’s very foundations.
The knockout blow arrived in the 74th minute, and it was a “Goal of the Tournament” contender. Substitute Ayoub El Kaabi rose like a salmon to meet Anass Salah-Eddine’s floating cross, executing a jaw-dropping overhead bicycle kick that flew past the helpless Pandor.
The victory puts the Atlas Lions top of Group A and confirms what every visiting team now fears: playing Morocco in this “Temple of Sport” is going to be a nightmare for anyone in their way.
