Morocco Breaks a World Record, Yet Fans Leave Angled by Doubts After 1-0 Win
15 November 2025
Record-breaking win and skeptical crowd
Morocco extended its unbeaten run to 17 consecutive victories, a new global record, after edging Mozambique 1-0 in a friendly at Tangier's Grand Stadium, with Azzedine Onahi scoring the decisive goal.
Despite the result, about 75,000 fans left the venue unhappy with the performance given the number of Moroccan players competing in top European leagues.
The victory continues a recent pattern of narrow 1-0 wins at home against Bahrain, Congo, and Mozambique, prompting questions about the effectiveness of the attack.
A second-half penalty by Ayoub El Kaabi was missed, and Youssef En-Nesyri along with Hamza Igaman also squandered clear chances, as Morocco pressed but failed to convert multiple opportunities.
The match served as a test for coach Walid Regragui to evaluate players and finalize selections ahead of AFCON, acting as a warm-up for the opener against the Comoros.
Two punchlines from the bench: the defense did its job, but the attack clearly wasn’t ready for prime time.
Injuries, lineup tweaks, and what's next
Key players Achraf Hakimi and Nayef Aguerd missed the game due to injuries. Regragui shifted Nassir Mazraoui to right-back to cover, and captain Romain Saïss returned after more than a year out.
Azzedine Onahi came back to the starting XI after a three-match absence with Girona, providing a much-needed presence in midfield.
The coach described the friendly as a crucial exercise to assess players and shape the lineup ahead of AFCON, considering it a precursor to the opening match against the Comoros.
Regragui indicated the need to discover attacking solutions and signaled changes for the upcoming clash against Uganda, aiming to sharpen the attacking phase while maintaining balance in the squad.
Punchline finale: if the attack were a GPS, it would still say “recalculating” after every clear chance. And yes, the defense deserves a medal for showing up strong when the forwards forgot the finish line.
