Morocco’s 2027 AFCON campaign begins with Gabon test before Lesotho trip

Morocco will begin their qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with home and away fixtures against Gabon and Lesotho in September, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has confirmed.

The Atlas Lions will host Gabon at Rabat’s Stade Moulay Abdellah on 25 September, before travelling to South Africa four days later to face Lesotho at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.

The schedule was announced officially by the FRMF, confirming details previously released by the Lesotho Football Association. Lesotho are unable to stage the fixture at home because they do not have a stadium that meets the required approval standards, meaning the match will be played across the border in neighbouring South Africa.

Morocco’s first two qualifiers will come after the team’s involvement at the 2026 World Cup, where they are described as quarter-finalists. The matches will also mark the opening stages of their bid to reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Strong recent record against both opponents

Morocco have faced Gabon three times over the past four years, winning two of those meetings and drawing the other.

Their most recent encounters came in September and November 2024 during qualifying for the most recent World Cup. The Atlas Lions won the first match 4-1 before completing a 5-1 victory in the return fixture.

Morocco have also played Lesotho during the same period, with both matches coming in World Cup qualifying.

Their first meeting was a closely fought contest, with Morocco securing a 1-0 victory after Brahim Diaz scored in the third minute of added time, at 90 minutes and three seconds. The return match in Rabat, a month later, was far more one-sided as Morocco recorded a 7-0 win.

Achraf Hakimi and his team-mates will therefore begin the 2027 qualifying programme against opponents they have recently beaten, although the second fixture will involve a lengthy journey to Bloemfontein rather than a match in Lesotho.

The FRMF’s announcement provides the confirmed route for Morocco’s opening two matches: Gabon in Rabat on 25 September, followed by Lesotho in South Africa on 29 September. Both fixtures are part of the qualifying process for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.