Morocco vs Comoros live: Score and updates from opening game of Afcon 2025

Morocco XI: Bono; Salah-Eddine, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui; Ounahi, Amrabat, Diaz; El Aynaoui, Rahimi, Saibari.

Comoros XI: Pandor; Kari, Soilhi, Toibibou, Boura; Z. Youssouf, B. Youssouf, Mohamed, Selemani; Ahamada, Said El Aynaoui, Rahimi, Saibari.

The Africa Cup of Nations will be held every four years instead of two from 2028, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced.

The tournament has traditionally been held biennially since its inception in 1957. The surprise announcement was made on the eve of the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco on Sunday.

It follows a meeting of the CAF executive committee in Rabat, with president Patrice Motsepe announcing the major change in a press conference in Rabat.

Morocco is poised to host the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) from Sunday, an event seen as a crucial stepping stone in its ambitious journey to become a global football powerhouse and a significant dress rehearsal for its co-hosting duties at the 2030 World Cup.

The North African nation, which famously reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, will welcome 24 teams from across the continent, utilising nine new or renovated stadiums in six cities.

This marks only the second time Morocco has staged the biennial tournament, yet it arrives amidst a period of intensified football engagement.

The group stages run from Sunday 21 December to Wednesday 31 December. The knockout stages begin on Saturday 3 January. The final will be played on Sunday 18 January at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Here’s the early fixture schedule for the tournament, with the following games taking place before a one-day break over Christmas.

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Morocco v Comoros | 7:00 PM | Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah, Rabat, Morocco

Monday, December 22, 2025

Mali v Zambia | 2:00 PM | Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco

South Africa v Angola | 5:00 PM | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco

Egypt v Zimbabwe | 8:00 PM | Le Grand Stade Agadir, Agadir, Morocco

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Congo DR v Benin | 12:30 PM | Stade El Barid, Rabat, Morocco

Senegal v Botswana | 3:00 PM | Stade Ibn-Batouta, Tanger, Morocco

Nigeria v Tanzania | 5:30 PM | Complexe Sportif de Fès, Fès, Morocco

Tunisia v Uganda | 8:00 PM | Stade Olympique de Rabat, Rabat, Morocco

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Burkina Faso v Equatorial Guinea | 12:30 PM | Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco

Algeria v Sudan | 3:00 PM | Stade Prince Moulay Al Hassan, Rabat, Morocco

Ivory Coast v Mozambique | 5:30 PM | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco

Cameroon v Gabon | 8:00 PM | Le Grand Stade Agadir, Agadir, Morocco

Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros

Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe

Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania

Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana

Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan

Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique

The broadcaster has secured exclusive rights to the 24-team tournament and will show every game – with the Boxing Day fixture between Mohamed Salah’s Egypt and South Africa live on Channel 4’s main channel. The remainder of the group-stage games will be available to watch on E4 or 4Seven, or online on Channel 4’s streaming service.

Hosts Morocco, who are also the tournament favourites, kick off the Africa Cup of Nations against Comoros on Sunday, with Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon all in action over the coming days. Ivory Coast are the defending champions, having beaten Nigeria in the final two years ago to win the tournament on home soil.

The Independent’s Jamie Braidwood has put together a guide to this year’s Afcon, with everything you need to know from key fixtures and groups to pre-tournament controversy.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi could miss the opening match as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, while Hamza Igmane and Sofyan Amrabat will also likely miss out.

Comoros boss Stefano Cusin has a full squad to pick from, with qualifying top-scorers Youssouf M’Changama and Rafiki Said expected to feature in attack and veteran striker El Fardou Ben Nabouhane potentially leading the line.

The 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday when the hosts Morocco face Comoros in the tournament opener in Rabat.

Ivory Coast were the champions last time out, winning the Afcon on home soil after an extraordinary campaign where The Elephants fired their manager mid-tournament and went from the brink of crashing out of the group stages to lifting the trophy against Nigeria in the final.

Could history repeat itself two years on? Well, Morocco are the pre-tournament favourites. The Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup three years ago. If the extraordinary support they received in Qatar is anything to go by, then Morocco will have a huge home advantage – although that could lend itself to the suffocating pressure of expectations as they aim to win their first Afcon title since 1976.