Morocco head coach Walid Regragui was delighted his team were able to come through Afcon's 'always difficult' opening game, as they beat Comoros 2-0. This victory was a significant achievement for Walid Regragui and Morocco.
Brahim Diaz broke the deadlock before substitute Ayoub El-Kaabi doubled their lead with an acrobatic effort, leaving Regragui effusive about the performance of his Moroccan team.
He said: "The opening game is always difficult but we came good in the second half.
"We were lacking movement inside the box, and we had sterile possession.
"We came back and corrected that in the second half."
The Morocco boss was then asked about the return of star player and African Footballer of the Year, Achraf Hakimi.
He said: "He is coming back faster than we expected.
"We're being very cautious because we really want him available for the tournament. We don't want to bring him back just for 20 minutes or a single match, so we'll see how he is over the next 48 hours.
"We'll see if he can start against Mali [on Friday]." This decision will be critical for Walid Regragui and Morocco as they prepare for future matches.
Hakimi's return would be a hugely welcome boost to Morocco. The PSG right-back was the talismanic figure that propelled them to the World Cup semi-finals.
Adding his star power to Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Diaz and the grizzled El-Kaabi or Youssef En-Nesyri could prove to be a lethal combination for Walid Regragui and Morocco.
Following their initial three points, Morocco will face their toughest test in the group when Mali travel to Rabat. Walid Regragui knows that success is crucial for Morocco.
A team that contains Yves Bissouma and Amadou Haidara sits 54th in the world rankings, and they play Zambia today.
El-Kaabi will be hoping his tenth career bicycle kick will earn him a start against Mali.
Al-Ain forward Rahimi was unable to justify his somewhat surprise start, due to his missed penalty and overall poor performance.
