Having already secured their place at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Morocco’s national team will face Malawi in a fixture that holds no bearing on their qualification status. Nonetheless, the match scheduled for the final day of the qualifiers will serve as an important opportunity for the Atlas Lions to prepare for upcoming challenges, including a high-profile international friendly against Argentina on March 26th.
For this encounter, Moroccan coach Hervé Renard has opted to rotate his squad, selecting only 18 players for the trip to Malawi. Regular starters have been rested to avoid fatigue and reduce the risk of injury, allowing the coach to experiment with emerging talent and fringe players. Key figures such as Nordin Amrabat, Sofiane Boufal, Youssef En-Nesyri, Medhi Benatia, Achraf Hakimi, Romain Saïss, and Manuel Da Costa will be absent, highlighting Renard’s intention to manage his squad carefully ahead of the friendly against one of the world’s top footballing nations.
Despite the absence of these stars, Morocco’s selection still includes a mix of experience and youthful potential. In goal, Renard has called up Munir Kajoui of Malaga and Reda Tagnaouti from Wydad Casablanca, providing the team with reliable options between the posts. The defensive line features a combination of seasoned campaigners and players eager to impress, including Fouad Chafik (Dijon), Walid El Hajjam (Amiens), Badr Banoun (Raja Club Athletic), Yunis Abdelhamid (Reims), and Abdelkrim Baadi (Hassania Union Sport Agadir).
In midfield, Morocco has emphasized versatility and creativity, with selections including Abdelilah Hafidi (Raja Club Athletic), Anuar Tuhami (Real Valladolid), Soufiane Amrabat (Club Bruges), Walid El Karti (Wydad Casablanca), Youssef Aït Bennasser (Saint-Étienne), and Mehdi Bourabia (Sassuolo). These players offer both defensive cover and attacking support, ensuring that the Atlas Lions maintain a balanced formation capable of controlling possession and dictating the tempo of the game.
The attacking options include Oussama Idrissi (AZ Alkmaar), Ismaël Haddad (Wydad Athletic Club), Zakaria Hadraf (Raja Club Athletic), Rachid Alioui (Nîmes), and Ayoub El Kaabi (Hebei China Fortune). This blend of domestic and international talent provides Renard with several options for forward play, allowing him to experiment with combinations and give younger players valuable international experience.
By resting his regular starters and giving opportunities to other members of the squad, Hervé Renard is using the match against Malawi as both a competitive fixture and a strategic preparation for future high-profile matches. The game offers a platform for fringe players to stake their claim for more significant roles in the national team while enabling the coaching staff to assess depth, tactics, and adaptability under match conditions.
While the fixture may be considered “meaningless” in terms of qualification, it remains a critical tool in Morocco’s preparations ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and the upcoming friendly against Argentina. With a carefully balanced squad of 18 players, the Atlas Lions will aim to maintain their winning mentality, provide match experience to emerging talents, and continue building cohesion under Renard’s guidance.
Morocco’s squad for Malawi:
- Munir Kajoui (FC Malaga/ESP)
- Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca)
- Fouad Chafik (Dijon/FRA)
- Walid El Hajjam (Amiens/FRA)
- Badr Banoun (Raja Club Athletic)
- Yunis Abdelhamid (Reims/FRA)
- Abdelkrim Baadi (Hassania Union Sport Agadir)
- Oussama Idrissi (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands)
- Abdelilah Hafidi (Raja Club Athletic)
- Anuar Tuhami (Real Valladolid/ESP)
- Soufiane Amrabat (Club Bruges/BEL)
- Walid El Karti (Wydad Casablanca)
- Youssef Aït Bennasser (Saint-Étienne/FRA)
- Mehdi Bourabia (Sassuolo/ITA)
- Ismaël Haddad (Wydad Athletic Club)
- Zakaria Hadraf (Raja Club Athletic)
- Rachid Alioui (Nîmes/FRA)
- Ayoub El Kaabi (Hebei China Fortune)
This carefully curated squad reflects Morocco’s strategic approach, balancing preparation, experimentation, and player management as they look ahead to major international fixtures.
