Hosts Morocco and Comoros will accommodated in the aperture bold of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 on Sunday (20h00 bounded time / 19h00 GMT), their additional affray at the continental finals.
Morocco are ranked 11th in the world, the highest-ranked African nation, while Comoros are ranked 108th.
The abandon accept met four times previously, with Morocco acceptable three matches and one catastrophe in a draw.
Their aboriginal affairs came during 2019 AFCON qualifying. The aboriginal Accumulation C clash, with Morocco as hosts, concluded in a 1–0 win on 13 October 2018, while the acknowledgment bout in Comoros on 16 October 2018 concluded in a 2–2 draw. Morocco progressed as accumulation winners, alongside Cameroon, to Egypt 2019.
The nations additionally clashed at the accumulation date of the 2021 edition.
When they met on 14 January 2022 at the 2021 AFCON, Morocco won their Accumulation C appointment 2–0 in Yaoundé, with Selim Amallah scoring in the 16th minute and Zakaria Aboukhlal abacus a additional in the 83rd minute.
Morocco are alpha their 20th AFCON finals actualization and their fifth in a row, a run that began in 2017.
Comoros are actualization for alone the additional time, accepting fabricated their clash admission at the 2021 copy in Cameroon.
Comoros are adverse a clash host for the additional time and will be arena hosts in alternating AFCON matches.
Their alone antecedent bout adjoin a host nation concluded in a 2–1 defeat to Cameroon on 24 January 2022 in the Round of 16 at the 2021 edition.
When the nations were fatigued calm at the 2021 edition, both progressed from Accumulation C to the Round of 16, with Morocco finishing as accumulation winners and Comoros advancing as one of the best third-placed teams. Gabon accomplished second, while Ghana concluded fourth.
This will be the 35th aperture bout at an AFCON finals.
Of the antecedent 34 aperture matches, aloof one has concluded 0–0 — South Africa adjoin Cabo Verde in 2013.
Hosts or co-hosts accept accomplished the knockout stages in 14 of the aftermost 15 AFCON editions, the barring actuality Gabon in 2017. Côte d’Ivoire at the aftermost copy became the aboriginal hosts to win the appellation back Egypt in 2006.
Hosts or co-hosts are best in their aperture bout in the aftermost 15 editions.
The aftermost host nation to lose their aperture bout was Burkina Faso in 1998, back they were baffled 1–0 by Cameroon.
In the 21st century, no host or co-host has absent their aperture match, recording nine wins and six draws.
The aftermost three AFCON hosts accept all won their aperture games: Egypt exhausted Zimbabwe 1–0 in 2019, Cameroon defeated Burkina Faso 2–1 at the 2021 edition, and Côte d’Ivoire won 2–0 adjoin Guinea-Bissau at the 2023 edition.
Before Egypt’s win over Zimbabwe in 2019, the antecedent three AFCON hosts had bootless to win their aperture matches — South Africa drew with Cabo Verde in 2013, while Equatorial Guinea and Gabon drew with Congo and Guinea-Bissau in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
The aboriginal anytime AFCON host to lose their aperture bout was Sudan, who absent 2–1 to Egypt in the 1957 semi-finals.
AFCON hosts accept absent their aperture bout on bristles occasions: Sudan in 1957, Egypt in 1986, Senegal in 1992, Tunisia in 1994, and Burkina Faso in 1998, the best contempo occurrence.
Since Burkina Faso’s accident in 1998, host nations’ annal in aperture matches apprehend P15 W9 D6 L0.
Egypt are the alone AFCON hosts to lose their aperture bout and go on to win the title, accomplishing this in 1986 afterwards a 1–0 defeat to Senegal.
The alone time an AFCON host played to a aimless draw in their aperture bout was back South Africa were captivated 0–0 by Cabo Verde in 2013.
The highest-scoring AFCON aperture bout involving a host nation came in 2010, back Angola surrendered a 4–0 advance to draw 4–4 with Mali.
Angola in 2010 are the alone AFCON hosts to accept denticulate added than two goals in an aperture bout and bootless to win.
Algeria’s 5–1 achievement over Nigeria in 1990 charcoal the better opening-match win by an AFCON host nation.
Between 1965 and 1980, every AFCON host won their aperture bout — a run of eight alternating tournaments.
Between 1957 and 1984, AFCON hosts abhorred defeat in their aperture bout in 13 tournaments in a row (W11 D2), until Egypt absent to Senegal in 1986.
Head-to-Head All-embracing
Morocco: P4 W3 D1 L0 GF8 GA3 GD 5 Comoros: P4 W0 D1 L3 GF3 GA8 GD−5
Head-to-Head AFCON
Morocco: P1 W1 D0 L0 GF2 GA0 GD 2 Comoros: P1 W0 D0 L1 GF0 GA2 GD−2
Past AFCON Meeting
2021 AFCON, Accumulation C, 14 January 2022 Morocco 2 (Amallah 16’, Aboukhlal 88’) Comoros 0 Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Morocco – Key Statistics
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Begin their 20th AFCON finals actualization and host the clash for the additional time, accepting accomplished third as hosts in 1988.
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Their aperture bout in 1988 concluded in a 1–1 draw adjoin the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Abdelkrim Merry denticulate a 43rd-minute amends in that bout afore Vita Lutonadio equalised in the 88th minute.
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Winners in 1976, runners-up in 2004, and third-place finishers in 1980.
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Have able for bristles alternating AFCON tournaments for the additional time, accepting advanced accomplished six in a row amid 1998 and 2008.
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Their opening-match almanac stands at P19 W6 D9 L4.
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Have won their aperture bout at anniversary of the aftermost three editions: 2019, 2021 and 2023.
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Failed to win their aperture bout at their aboriginal eight AFCON appearances (D7 L1).
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Their better opening-match win was a 5–1 achievement over Namibia in 2008, additionally their collective better win at the finals.
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Have kept apple-pie bedding in their aperture matches at the aftermost bristles editions.
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This will be their 75th AFCON finals bout overall.
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Were alone by South Africa in the Round of 16 at the aftermost edition.
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Became the aboriginal African nation to ability a FIFA Apple Cup semi-final at Qatar 2022.
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Are best in their aftermost 11 AFCON accumulation matches (W9 D2).
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Qualified automatically as hosts but won all six condoning matches, scoring 26 goals and acceptance aloof two.
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Brahim Díaz was top scorer in condoning with seven goals in four matches.
Comoros – Key Statistics
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Making their additional AFCON finals appearance, afterward their admission at the 2021 edition.
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One of four island nations to accept able for an AFCON finals, forth with Cabo Verde, Madagascar and Mauritius.
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Qualified from Accumulation A best advanced of Tunisia, Gambia and Madagascar.
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Recorded three wins and three draws in qualifying, acceptance aloof four goals.
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This was their best-ever AFCON condoning attack in agreement of wins and arresting record.
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Lost their aperture AFCON bout in 2021, 1–0 adjoin Gabon.
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Reached the Round of 16 on admission in 2021 afterwards acquisition Ghana 3–2 in the accumulation stage.
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Have yet to accumulate a apple-pie area at AFCON finals, acceptance seven goals in four matches.
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Of their four AFCON goals, three accept been denticulate in the additional half.
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Used 25 players during qualifying, with four starting all six matches.
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Warmed Omari and Saïd Bakari played every minute of the condoning campaign.