Morocco began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Gabon at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Friday.
Noussair Mazraoui opened the scoring in the 36th minute before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added Morocco’s second six minutes from time, giving the Atlas Lions all three points from their opening Group A fixture.
Mazraoui gives Morocco the breakthrough
Morocco controlled much of the opening period but had to wait until the 36th minute to break the deadlock.
Mazraoui provided the breakthrough, scoring from outside the penalty area to put Mohamed Ouahbi’s side ahead.
The goal sent Morocco into half-time with a 1-0 advantage after Gabon had managed to keep the hosts within reach for most of the opening 45 minutes.
Ouahbi had named an interesting starting XI that combined established internationals with several younger players.
Yassine Bounou started in goal, with Mazraoui, Nayef Aguerd and Issa Diop among the defensive selections. Ayyoub Bouaddi, Azzedine Ounahi, Neil El Aynaoui and Ali Maamar were included in midfield, while Yassine Gessime, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Yassir Zabiri started in the attacking positions.
Rahimi seals the win
Morocco continued searching for a second goal after the interval but Gabon remained in the contest deep into the second half.
The decisive second goal arrived in the 84th minute.
Soufiane Rahimi, who had started the match among Morocco’s substitutes, found the net to make it 2-0 and remove any remaining doubt over the result.
Morocco then saw out the closing minutes to secure a clean sheet and their first three points of the qualifying campaign.
Three points to start Group A
The victory gives Morocco a positive start in a Group A that also contains Gabon, Niger and Lesotho.
The 2027 AFCON qualifying group stage features 48 nations divided into 12 groups. The finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
For Morocco, the Gabon match also marked the beginning of a new qualifying campaign under Mohamed Ouahbi, who took charge of the senior national team earlier in 2026.
His opening qualifying lineup showed a willingness to combine experienced players such as Bounou, Mazraoui and Aguerd with emerging options including Bouaddi, Gessime and Zabiri.
The immediate objective, however, was three points — and Morocco achieved it without conceding.
Morocco face Lesotho next
The Atlas Lions now turn their attention to their second Group A qualifier against Lesotho on September 29.
That fixture is scheduled to be played in Bloemfontein, South Africa, before Morocco’s AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign continues in the next international window.
Morocco 2-0 Gabon — Match Summary
Competition: 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, Group A
Date: September 25, 2026
Venue: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat
Result: Morocco 2-0 Gabon
Scorers: Noussair Mazraoui 36′, Soufiane Rahimi 84′
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