Morocco replace Ghana with Mali for friendly in Tangier

Morocco will face Mali in a friendly in Tangier on Sunday after Ghana withdrew from the planned fixture for internal reasons.

The match will be played at the Grand Stade de la Cité du Détroit at 18:00 local time, according to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).

The fixture was originally scheduled to see Morocco take on Ghana, but the Ghana Football Association informed the FRMF by letter that it would no longer be able to participate.

The withdrawal has led to Mali being brought in as Morocco’s new opponent for the international fixture.

The FRMF confirmed the change in a statement, with the match now set to give the Atlas Lions another opportunity to continue their preparations during the international break.

Morocco go into the game after making a strong start to their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaign.

The Atlas Lions have won both of their opening qualifiers, recording identical 2 0 victories against Gabon and Lesotho.

Those results have given Morocco six points from their first two matches as they continue their campaign for a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The friendly against Mali will come after those two qualifying victories and will give Morocco another match before their competitive campaign resumes.

The match will also take place in Tangier, with the Grand Stade de la Cité du Détroit selected as the venue.

Morocco had initially been scheduled to use the international break for the Ghana friendly, but Ghana’s decision to withdraw forced a late change to the fixture.

The FRMF said Ghana communicated its withdrawal by letter and cited internal reasons for the decision.

Mali have now been confirmed as the replacement opponent, with the two sides set to meet on Sunday evening.

The Atlas Lions will therefore turn their attention to Mali after completing their first two AFCON 2027 qualifiers with maximum points.

The friendly provides Morocco with another chance to test themselves against international opposition while maintaining their preparations following their wins over Gabon and Lesotho.

For Mali, the match will provide an opportunity to face a Morocco side that has started its AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with two victories.

The fixture is scheduled for 18:00 at the Grand Stade de la Cité du Détroit in Tangier.