Emirati Flair Lights Morocco's 3-1 Victory Over Comoros

Match snapshot

Morocco edged Comoros 3-1 in the opening group stage of the Arab Cup, delivering several standout moments—from sealing the win in the first half to relying heavily on set pieces.

The result also carried a double reward for Karim Barakaoui as he repeated a notable tournament feat.

Emirati imprint

The victory bore a clear Emirati imprint: Sufian Bouftini (Al Wasl) opened the scoring, Tariq Tsioudali (Khorfakan) added the second, and Karim Barakaoui (Al Dhafra) sealed the third.

The first-half dominance came through Morocco’s superiority on dead-ball situations, with the first two goals arriving from corners executed with precision by Osama Tanan.

Barakaoui shines

Barakaoui was named Man of the Match, repeating the feat he earned in 2021 against Saudi Arabia.

He also became the first Moroccan to score in two consecutive editions of the tournament, both in Qatar, and he later collected Best Player in both matches.

Barakaoui had previously scored the winning goal against Saudi Arabia in the previous edition.

Coaching and future prospects

The match underscored coach Tarek Sketoui’s opening-game streak, unbeaten in group openers across every national team he has led.

His decision to lean on Barakaoui signals a plan to succeed the veteran Abdul Razak Hamdallah, given the forward’s long Saudi league experience with Al Raed before moving this season to Al Dhafra in Qatar, where he delivered a standout display.

Punchline 1: If corners were targets, Morocco just earned a sharpshooter badge with that ruthless crossbar therapy.

Punchline 2: Barakaoui didn’t just score; he filed a patent for on-targets—two editions, two golds, and no misfires. Sniper mode: activated, but with better aim and fewer casualties.