MARRAKESH, Morocco (Interstat) — Kawkab Marrakech and Olympic Safi opened their Botola Pro campaigns with a 1-1 draw Wednesday afternoon at Annexe du Grand Stade de Marrakech, a result that mirrored pregame projections but required a late equalizer from a substitute to materialize.

The match, a Moroccan top-flight fixture played on March 4, 2026, saw the visiting Olympic Safi side carry the slight favor of statistical models but ultimately settle for a share of the points against a determined Kawkab Marrakech squad. Interstat’s pregame metrics had given Safi a 52.3 percent probability of securing a victory, while its scoreline simulator had accurately predicted the 1-1 deadlock.

The game’s opening goal arrived just before halftime, breaking a stalemate in the 45th minute. Olympic Safi forward Souleymane Cissé provided the breakthrough, finishing a play to beat the Kawkab goalkeeper with a left-footed strike. The assist on the play was credited to veteran forward Khalid Boutaïb, who helped put the visitors in front at the intermission.

The second half saw Kawkab Marrakech increase its pressure in search of an equalizer, but the match grew increasingly tense as time wound down. The tension boiled over in the 81st minute, when a confrontation led to simultaneous yellow cards being issued to Safi’s goal provider, Khalid Boutaïb, and Kawkab substitute Yassine Kordani.

The booking for Kordani proved to be a pivotal moment, as the substitute quickly made his mark on the game in a positive manner. Just six minutes after entering the referee’s book, Kordani became the provider for the tying goal. In the 87th minute, he set up fellow substitute Moussa Koné, who fired a right-footed shot into the net to level the score and secure a crucial point for the home side.

The late drama ensured both teams would begin their league seasons with identical records. With the draw, Olympic Safi’s Botola Pro record stands at zero wins, zero losses and one draw. Kawkab Marrakech’s record in the competition is also zero wins, zero losses and one draw. The single point also leaves each club with the same overall record across all competitions this season: zero wins, zero losses and one draw.

The result underscored the impact of strategic substitutions, with Kawkab’s Koné and Kordani combining for the decisive late response to Cissé’s first-half finish for Safi. The match offered an early-season glimpse of parity in the Moroccan league, as two sides fought to a standstill in Marrakech, leaving everything to play for as the Botola Pro season continues.