McTominay-style finish – but what else did Scots learn about Morocco?

Morocco credited their own Scott McTominay for their success as Scotland’s World Cup adversaries commenced the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 win over Comoros before a full-capacity home audience.

Ayoub El Kaabi’s breathtaking overhead kick, echoing the Scotland midfielder’s famous strike in the recent World Cup qualifier against Denmark, secured the three points with 15 minutes to go for the hosts after Brahim Diaz netted 10 minutes post-half-time.

The triumph over the 108th ranked team globally in front of a gathering of 60,180 in Rabat extended the Atlas Lions’ record for consecutive wins to 19.

But what insights did we gain about the second-seeded teams in Scotland’s group for the upcoming summer in the Americas?

Diaz tends to go down easily in the penalty area.

The 26-year-old winger for Real Madrid might have been fortunate to earn a penalty when he sought contact with Iyad Mohamed’s planted foot while attempting to escape along the byeline just after 10 minutes.

Goalkeeper Yannick Pandor denied Soufiane Rahimi’s penalty, which was struck down the middle of the goal.

Diaz, born in Malaga, who transitioned to Morocco in 2024 after one cap for Spain, also appealed for a penalty shortly before halftime.

This time, he fell to the ground under the challenge of two Comoros defenders only to correctly be ruled for handball before either could challenge him.

The execution of Diaz’s free-kicks was disappointingly underwhelming.

Nevertheless, he remained a persistent threat while on his feet, allowed the freedom to drift across both flanks and attack down the middle.

Steve Clarke’s team must avoid granting him the space he exploited to score against Comoros.

Diaz had gone five games without a goal after finding the net six times in eight matches following his change of allegiance.

He returned to scoring form when Manchester United wing-back Noussair Mazraoui collected a clever chip over the Comoros defense, maneuvered past his marker, and laid it into Diaz’s path in ample space to slot home from 12 yards.

Whoever is assigned to mark Diaz for Scotland will face a challenging decision – get too close and he will collapse, afford him too much space and he will threaten to score.

Coach Walid Regragui’s Morocco favors a fast-paced style, quickly moving the ball across the field to stretch opponents in their 4-3-3 system.

They execute free-kicks and set pieces rapidly to keep up the pressure and intensity on their rivals.

However, Comoros demonstrated that Morocco, ranked 11th globally and 97 spots higher, can be contained.

By adopting a largely defensive approach in the first half, the visitors limited the hosts to just one shot on target from seven attempts before the first goal.

This was despite Morocco sending in 16 crosses into the Comoros penalty area before halftime, with Mazraoui notably active before eventually assisting Diaz’s goal.

Regragui’s squad took advantage once Comoros started to adopt a more attacking mindset shortly after the interval, and once they gained the lead, they relentlessly pursued further goals.

Nonetheless, Morocco appeared uneasy at times when Comoros occasionally pressed high.

They were also susceptible several times to long balls slicing through their central defense during counter-attacks.

Standard Liege striker Rafiki Said probably should have silenced the home crowd shortly after the first goal when he broke through on goal but shot straight at Moroccan keeper Yassine Bounou’s legs.

Apart from that, Bounou only faced real danger once but did not impress when Youssouf M’Changama attempted a daring free-kick from 50 yards out.

The Al-Hilal goalkeeper managed to gather the ball on the second attempt, though he may attribute his struggles to the continuous rain.

Assessing Morocco’s capabilities based on a matchup against a team from the smallest country in a field of 24 competing in Afcon 2025 – and with their own passionate fans is challenging.

Comoros were undefeated as they topped their qualifying group ahead of Tunisia and stunned Ghana at the last Afcon two years ago.

Nonetheless, Morocco achieved a 3-1 victory over Comoros to top their group at the recent Arab Cup held in Qatar before narrowly beating Jordan 3-2 after extra time in Thursday’s final.

That was accomplished with a completely different roster than the one present for their home tournament.

Comoros, as well, only featured one player from the Arab Cup in the starting lineup against the hosts at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Regardless, it serves as further evidence that Morocco possesses depth in their squad.

This was three points secured without relying on their key captain Achraf Hakimi, who was only fit enough for the bench following an ankle injury sustained while playing for Paris St-Germain in early November.

El Kaabi was also a substitute prior to the 32-year-old Olympiacos striker making a remarkable goalscoring entry with 25 minutes to go.

Sure, he didn’t quite leap as high as McTominay, but his arrival was met with similar astonishment from the home crowd.

Morocco’s depth will face greater scrutiny in more demanding contests ahead, beginning with Mali on Boxing Day and Zambia on December 29.

Nonetheless, they will likely be favorites to advance from Group A as they aim to win Afcon for the first time since 1976 or at least reach the final for the first time in 21 years.

There will be ample time for Clarke to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the team Scotland will encounter at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, USA on June 19.