Rabat hosts Morocco-Gabon opener as AFCON 2027 race gets under way

Morocco begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Gabon on Friday, 25 September, with the match taking place at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.

Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 GMT. In Morocco, the game will be shown on Arryadia TNT, Al Aoula TNT, beIN Sports HD 3 and beIN SPORTS CONNECT / TOD. Viewers in France can watch on beIN Sports 1 and beIN SPORTS CONNECT, while Canal+ Sport Afrique will broadcast the match in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the MENA region, the fixture will be available on BeIN Sports 3.

The meeting is the first round of qualifying for CAN 2027 and brings together two sides with contrasting recent records and team news.

Morocco hold the advantage in head-to-head record

According to Transfermarkt data, Morocco and Gabon have met 20 times. The Atlas Lions have won 10 of those matches, while Gabon have recorded six victories. The other four games ended in draws.

Morocco have also scored 42 goals in the fixture, compared with 21 for the Panthers. In the five most recent encounters, Morocco have taken three victories, including three high-scoring wins, alongside one draw and one defeat.

This match is being viewed as the first major test of the identity being developed by Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi.

Morocco arrive with positive momentum. Their recent results include victories against Canada, the Netherlands and Haiti, although they were beaten by France at the 2026 World Cup.

Gabon, meanwhile, drew 2-2 with Trinidad and Tobago before losing 3-1 to Uzbekistan during the March international break.

The Panthers will be without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has chosen to put his international career on hold. Mario Lemina is also unavailable because of injury.

Morocco considered favourites

Playing at home and possessing what is regarded as the stronger squad, Morocco are expected to start as clear favourites. Their recent form also gives them an advantage before the opening whistle.

Gabon are expected to face a difficult task without Aubameyang and Lemina. To challenge Morocco, the Panthers will need a highly disciplined collective performance, as well as individual moments of quality.

Rodrigue Moundounga has provided an analysis of the fixture before kick-off, while the assessment attributed to Africafoot predicts a 3-1 victory for Morocco.

Listed betting odds place Morocco at 1.10 to win, with a draw priced at 8.00 and a Gabon victory at 17.00.