Comoros and Zambia Play Out Goalless Draw at AFCON 2025
Comoros and Zambia shared the first goalless draw of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a quiet Group A match in Casablanca.
Clear chances were few, but Comoros came closest in the first half. Myziane Maolida thought he had scored after tapping into an empty net from close range following a fine run by Rafiki Said. However, the goal was ruled out after a Video Assistant Referee review showed that Yacine Bourhane had fouled Zambia’s Owen Tembo in the build-up.
Comoros were the better side for much of the game, but the second half produced little action. They again went close when Faïz Selemani headed a deep cross onto the roof of the net, with Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza caught off his line.
The draw suits Comoros more, as they move to one point ahead of their final Group A match against Mali in Casablanca on Monday. Zambia now have two points and will likely need a win against host nation Morocco in Rabat to reach the last 16.
Zambia striker Patson Daka was unable to repeat his late heroics from the draw with Mali. Comoros goalkeeper Yannick Pandor was rarely troubled, although he was lucky early on after losing the ball in his own box before recovering.
Comoros enjoyed more of the ball than in their opening loss to Morocco and played with confidence. Before his disallowed goal, Maolida also had a shot blocked by Dominic Chanda.
Zambia’s best chance in the first half came when Kings Kangwa fired just over the bar from outside the box. Late pressure from the Chipolopolo brought a few set pieces, but they could not find a winner.
The result extends Zambia’s long AFCON winless run since lifting the trophy in 2012. They now face a tough task against Morocco, while Comoros will be hopeful of beating Mali and reaching the knockout stage, as they did on their tournament debut in 2021.
