Overview
- Brahim Díaz put Morocco ahead in the 55th minute and substitute Ayoub El Kaabi sealed it with a 74th‑minute bicycle kick in Rabat.
- Captain Romain Saïss exited early with an apparent muscle injury and was visibly emotional as he left the field.
- Achraf Hakimi was not risked after a recent ankle issue and watched from the bench as Morocco managed a workmanlike victory.
- Morocco enters the home tournament as a leading title contender, seeking to convert recent international progress into a continental crown.
- The Mohammed VI Academy anchors a decade-long state program, with total football infrastructure outlays estimated at €2–3 billion that have also drawn youth protests over spending priorities.