Four Morocco U20 players in Walid Regragui’s plans for March friendlies

The Morocco national football team is gearing up for two high-profile friendly matches against the Ecuador national football team and Paraguay national football team next March, as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Atlas Lions were drawn into Group C alongside the Brazil national football team, Scotland national football team and Haiti national football team, in what promises to be a competitive group.

According to sources close to the team, head coach Walid Regragui is preparing a squad list that could feature several surprises, including the introduction of promising young talents.

Among the names under consideration are four players who impressed at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup: Othman Maama, Yasser Zabiri, Ismail Baouf and Yassine Jassim. The quartet played key roles in Morocco’s triumph at the youth tournament held in Chile last year, where they defeated Argentina in the final.

In addition, Imran Louza could return to the national team setup following his strong performances with Watford FC, while Yanis El Bakraoui is also enjoying a positive spell with Portuguese side Estoril Praia.

With the World Cup on the horizon, Regragui appears keen to blend experience with youth as Morocco fine-tunes its squad for the global stage.