After four days of competition, the first day of the group stage of the African Cup of Nations came to an end this Wednesday evening. It is therefore time for a first assessment of the Moroccan tournament, where the favorites assumed their status despite capricious weather marked by torrential rains.
The coup de brilliance: the acrobatic return of El Kaabi
From Sunday, this CAN 2025 started strong. After a superb opening ceremony, Morocco put on a show with a logical victory against the Comoros (2-0) and a stratospheric goal from Ayoub El Kaabi. Entering the game in the 65th minute, the Olympiakos striker scored with an exceptional scissor just nine minutes later. A bold gesture, rarely mastered, of which he is accustomed.
With the Atlas Lions alone, the Moroccan has achieved three acrobatic returns in his career. During the 2020-2021 season, he even achieved four in four months during his return to Wydad Athletic Club, while one of his bicycles was named “goal of the tournament” in the Europa Conference League in June 2024.
The star: Prince Moulay El Hassan
Well installed in the stands of the Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan appreciated the gesture of his compatriot. Present to chair the opening ceremony in the absence of his father, King Mohammed VI, the 22-year-old young man was one of the stars of this first day.
Acclaimed by the Moroccan supporters and respected by the players, the future king of Morocco kicked off the meeting after greeting all the players one by one. A big football fan, he then enjoyed his team’s performance alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The results: the favorites in pattern
Morocco launched its CAN perfectly. Big favorites of this African Cup of Nations, the Atlas Lions easily beat the Comoros (2-0). A logical result, like the rest of this first day. Also candidates for the title, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Nigeria and Tunisia all won. If the Senegalese and Tunisians made a strong impression, this is less the case for the Egyptians and Nigerians, who will have to raise their level in the knockout phase.
This Wednesday Algeria responded by dominating Sudan (3-0) thanks to a double from its captain Riyad Mahrez. A victory obtained under the eyes of Zinedine Zidane, who came to support his son Luca, holder in goal for the Fennecs.
At the end of the day, Ivory Coast, defending champion, won by the smallest of margins against Mozambique (1-0) in a very intense group F where Cameroon beat Gabon (1-0) on Wednesday evening.
A popular festival and stars in the stadiums
They have not gone unnoticed. Facing the Comoros on Sunday, Morocco was able to count on the support of a packed Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat with almost 70,000 supporters. Among the crowd, many personalities from Jamel Debbouze to Gad Elmaleh, including French Montana and Roschdy Zem. For the Algeria match, it was the idol Zinedine Zidane who was present in the stands.
This CAN is a sporting and festive interlude, from the stadiums to the streets. And so that everyone benefits – and that the stands appear on television copiously stocked – the organizers have decided to open the doors of the enclosures free of charge. An initiative that delights the many supporters present in Morocco.
Relief: rain does not disrupt the tournament
If this first round went so well, it is also because the rain did not affect the competition. Despite the downpours that fell on Rabat for several days, no match had to be interrupted and the quality of the pitches remained exceptional. Enough to allow the best nations to develop their polished game.
Morocco owes this success in particular to the SubAir technology installed at the Moulay Abdellah stadium. This system, which allows you to act in real time on various parameters such as aeration, drainage and pitch temperature, was installed last June under the Rabat pitch. A welcome inspiration given the current weather conditions.
The problem: VAR broken down, Benin disadvantaged?
A hiccup nevertheless impacted the competition. During the duel between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin this Tuesday, the VAR broke down for 15 minutes on the hour mark. While the Beninese claimed a handball in the area, the referee indicated that video assistance was unavailable. Enough to create a feeling of legitimate injustice.
“I think it’s a shame for such a big tournament to see so many problems. It harms football, it harms the game and it can disrupt the teams,” regretted Guépards coach Guernot Rohr after the match, without however crying scandal.
