AFCON 2027: Without Hakimi, Morocco beats Gabon 2-0 thanks to Mazraoui, Rahimi, and a great Bounou

Morocco made a successful start to the AFCON 2027 qualifiers by beating Gabon 2-0 on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat. Noussair Mazraoui and Soufiane Rahimi scored, while goalkeeper Yassine Bounou secured the victory.

A reshuffled but effective team

The Atlas Lions took the field with several significant absences. According to Le360, captain Achraf Hakimi and Ismaël Saibari were suspended, and Brahim Diaz was injured. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi therefore had to modify his starting eleven.

This did not stop Morocco from taking control. In the 36th minute, Noussair Mazraoui opened the scoring with a powerful, low strike. The Gabon Panthers then pushed to get back into the game but ran into Bounou.

Bounou, the wall of Rabat

The Moroccan goalkeeper notably pushed away a powerful strike from Denis Bouanga in the 74th minute, then made multiple saves in the final minutes, according to Le360. Late in the match, Soufiane Rahimi, set up by Bilal El Khannouss, scored the second goal that delighted the Rabat crowd.

This success confirms the depth of the Moroccan squad, ranked 5th in the FIFA rankings before this match, according to Le360: even without several of its stars, the team managed to handle an opponent led by a striker of Bouanga's caliber.

Next stop in Bloemfontein

Morocco takes the lead in Group A, ahead of Niger, who also won their first match against Lesotho (2-1). The Atlas Lions will face Lesotho on September 29, 2026, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, according to Le360. Gabon, for its part, will host Niger.

The final phase of AFCON 2027 will be held in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Morocco, which hosted the last edition, is approaching these qualifiers with great ambitions.