Hosts Morocco will face Comoros in the opening match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT). It will be the second time the two nations meet at the AFCON finals and the 35th opening fixture in the tournament’s history.

Morocco, ranked 11th in the world and Africa’s highest-ranked side, are overwhelming favourites against Comoros, who sit 108th in the FIFA rankings. The Atlas Lions are unbeaten in four previous meetings between the sides, winning three and drawing one, including a 2-0 victory in the group stage of the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.

This will be Morocco’s 20th AFCON appearance and their fifth consecutive finals, while Comoros are featuring for only the second time, having made a memorable debut in 2021 by reaching the last 16. The Islanders are also facing tournament hosts for the second successive AFCON, having lost 2-1 to Cameroon in the 2021 knockout stages.

History strongly favours the hosts in opening matches. Host nations or co-hosts are unbeaten in their opening fixture across the last 15 editions, with the most recent opening-match defeat for a host coming in 1998. The last three hosts, Egypt (2019), Cameroon (2021), and Côte d’Ivoire (2023), all began their tournaments with victories.

Morocco themselves have won their opening matches at the last three AFCON editions and have kept clean sheets in their opening games at the past five tournaments. Walid Regragui’s side arrive buoyed by a flawless qualifying campaign, despite automatic qualification, and their historic run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022.

For Comoros, the challenge is steep but familiar. They qualified unbeaten from their group and boast a disciplined defensive record, yet they have never kept a clean sheet at the AFCON finals. Sunday’s opener offers them another chance to defy expectations against a host nation keen to set the tone on home soil.