The Atlas Lions got their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign off to a winning start on Friday, beating Gabon 2-0 at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Mohamed Ouahbi’s side secured three valuable points in their first competitive outing since the 2026 World Cup, although their performance was far from convincing.
Morocco returned to competitive action with a slightly reshuffled starting lineup. Nayef Aguerd returned to the heart of the defense, while Ali Maamar started at right-back in the absence of suspended captain Achraf Hakimi. In midfield, Ouahbi kept faith with Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui and Azzedine Ounahi, while Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Gessime Yassine supported Yassir Zabiri, who made his first start for the senior national team.
Hakimi and Ismaïl Saibari, both suspended for the match, watched from the stands alongside Brahim Diaz, who was ruled out with muscular pain that has been troubling him for several weeks.
Following Brazil’s 1-1 friendly draw with Australia earlier Friday, Morocco had moved provisionally into fifth place in the FIFA rankings. Against Gabon, the main objective was to make the most of their first home game and begin the qualifying campaign with a victory.
The opening minutes were evenly contested, with most of the battle taking place in midfield. Morocco had to wait until the 11th minute for their first real chance, when Ounahi finished a well-built attack with a shot that went just wide of the post.
Nine minutes later, Ezzalzouli used his pace to get past two Gabonese defenders, but the Moroccan winger could not find Zabiri despite the striker being well positioned inside the box.
Gabon struggled to create danger at the other end. For the first 25 minutes, the Panthers rarely managed to trouble Bounou, who had little to do in the Moroccan goal.
Morocco gradually began to take control of the match and came close to opening the scoring in the 29th minute. After beating an opponent on the edge of the box, Ounahi unleashed a powerful shot that crashed against the crossbar.
A few minutes later, the Moroccan midfielder delivered a well-taken corner, but none of his teammates managed to get a touch on the ball. Gabon defender Anthony Torque reacted quickly to clear the danger.
Morocco’s pressure finally paid off in the 36th minute. On another Atlas Lions attack, Mazraoui fired a powerful low shot that beat the Gabonese goalkeeper and sent the crowd at Moulay Abdellah Stadium into celebration.
The Atlas Lions could even have gone into halftime with a two-goal lead. Shortly before the break, Ezzalzouli found El Aynaoui in a good position, but the midfielder’s effort missed the target.
After an evenly balanced start, Morocco had gradually taken control of the game and created a series of dangerous situations before Mazraoui finally put them ahead. The lead was a logical one given the chances created by Ouahbi’s side.
Ouahbi’s changes make the difference
Morocco continued to push forward after the break as they looked for a second goal. Ezzalzouli produced another individual effort, driving into the Gabonese box before seeing his shot blocked by a defender and deflected behind for a corner.
Aguerd met the resulting corner but could not make enough of the opportunity to trouble the Gabonese defense.
A few minutes later, Bouaddi won a free kick near the edge of the box after being brought down by a defender. Ezzalzouli took the set piece, but his poorly struck effort failed to trouble Jean-Noël Amonome.
Gabon then began to come out of its shell and created two promising opportunities, although the Panthers still struggled to seriously test Bounou and the Moroccan defense.
In the 62nd minute, Ouahbi decided to freshen up his attack with two substitutions. Rahimi replaced Zabiri, while Ilias Akhomach came on for Gessime Yassine for his first appearance since returning to the Atlas Lions.
Gabon came close to an equalizer in the 74th minute after a quick counterattack caught the Moroccan defense out. Denis Bouanga raced past Maamar before unleashing a powerful shot, but Bounou reacted brilliantly to keep Morocco’s lead intact.
Ouahbi immediately made two more changes to give his side fresh legs. Abdellah Ouazane replaced Ounahi, while Bilal El Khannouss came on for Ezzalzouli.
The Panthers continued to push and created another chance in the 77th minute. Rody Junior Effaghe rose highest to meet a cross, but his header was too central and went straight into Bounou’s arms.
Five minutes from full time, Mazraoui, who had scored Morocco’s opening goal, made way for Anass Salah-Eddine on the left flank.
In the closing stages, Rahimi put the result beyond doubt after being set up by El Khannouss. The Moroccan striker celebrated his goal with great emotion, paying tribute to his father, who died a few weeks ago.
Bounou once again proved decisive in the final minutes as Gabon pushed for a way back into the game. The Moroccan goalkeeper made several important interventions, including three crucial saves that allowed the Atlas Lions to preserve their advantage until the final whistle.
The victory puts Morocco top of Group A, ahead of Niger, who also won their opening game by beating Lesotho 2-1.
The second matchday will take place on Monday, September 29. Morocco will travel to Bloemfontein, South Africa, to face Lesotho, while Niger will take on Gabon.
