Morocco begin their 2025 African Cup of Nations campaign when they face Comoros in the opening match of the tournament at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday.
SportPremi provides the detailed match preview and team news for the October 21st matchup at 8:00 PM.
Morocco vs Comoros Match Preview
Morocco head into the 2025 edition of the African Cup of Nations as the host nation and in the hunt for a first continental crown since 1976.
The closest the Atlas Lions have come since then was a second placed finish at the 2004 edition, when they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tunisia in the final.
However, they are back this time around with renewed hope and in remarkable form, as they are currently unbeaten in 2025 and have one of the best squads in the continent.
Led by CAF Men’s Player of the year Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz, all eyes are on the host nation as they navigate group A, where they will also face Mali and Zambia.
Comoros, meanwhile, head into the 2025 edition after a four-year absence, following their debut in 2021. They reached the round of 16 in that edition and will be eyeing another giant-killing performance this time around.
The Coelacanths are underdogs in a highly-stacked group, but opponents will be wary of the threat they possess.
Head to Head
Morocco and Comoros have faced up four times in recent times, with the former maintaining a significant stronghold on this fixture. The Atlas Lions have won three of the last four matches, with the other clash ending in a stalemate.
02.12.2025 – Morocco 3-1 Comoros (FIFA Arab Cup)
14.01.2022 – Morocco 2-0 Comoros (African Cup of Nations)
16.10.2018 – Comoros 2-2 Morocco (African Cup of Nations qualifiers)
13.10.2018 – Morocco 1-0 Comoros (African Cup of Nations qualifiers)
Team News:
Morocco named a star-studded 28-man team for the tournament, although it is unknown if Hakimi would be fit to start the clash against Comoros. Other notable names in the squad are Yassine Bounou, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofyan Amrabat and Brahim Diaz.
Comoros, meanwhile, named a 26-man contingent for the African Cup of Nations including the likes of Youssouf M’Changama and Faiz Selemani.
Key Stats
- Only one opening match of the previous 34 African Cup of Nations tournaments have ended in a goalless draw, the opening clash between South Africa and Cape Verde in the 2013 edition.
- Only Gabon in 2017 failed to progress beyond the first round as host nations in the previous 15 editions of the African Cup of Nations.
- Ivory Coast in 2023, became the first host country to win the AFCON since Egypt achieved the feat in 2006.
- The host country have lost the opening match of the AFCON tournament on only five occasions- Sudan in 1957, Egypt in 1986, Senegal in 1992, Tunisia in 1994 and Burkina Faso in 1998.
Prediction
Morocco 2-0 Comoros
Morocco are expected to start on the front foot and possess enough quality to see off the challenge, avoiding any upset as one of the tournament favourites.
