The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) began on Sunday, December 21 with a win for hosts Morocco.
The Atlas Lions had to wait for almost an hour to break the deadlock at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
After a goalless first half, which saw the hosts miss a penalty awarded to them, Brahim Diaz made amends for the hosts to open the scoring.
Left unmarked, the Real Madrid forward swept home a low ball across the box by Noussair Mazraoui to draw first blood.
Twenty minutes later, Olympiacos forward Ayoub El Kaabi scored with a bicycle kick to double the lead for Morocco.
The win sends the 1976 champions to the top as they await Mali in their next game on Friday, December 26.
Meanwhile, Comoros, who made their debut at the tournament post-Covid in Cameroon, will play Zambia in their next game on Friday.