Wydad Casablanca manager Walid Regragui, who is also the coach of the Moroccan national football team, is preparing to unveil the squad for the first training camp following their elimination from the round of 16 in the recent Africa Cup of Nations held in Ivory Coast.
It is expected that Regragui will introduce some changes to the Atlas Lions’ roster compared to the one that competed in the AFCON, as the performance of some players has declined with their clubs recently while others have excelled but were overlooked during the African tournament.
Among those catching attention is Abderrazak Hamdallah, the Moroccan international striker playing for Saudi club Al-Ittihad Jeddah, who has once again knocked on the doors of the national team with his remarkable performances in recent matches, proving himself as one of the top professionals and best strikers in the Saudi Pro League.
Hamdallah continued to showcase his scoring prowess, with his most recent victim being his compatriot Munir El Mohammadi, the goalkeeper of Al-Wehda, whom he scored two goals against, leading his team to a valuable win after trailing by a goal.
Additionally, Murad Batna, a forward for Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia, has had an impressive season, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists in the Saudi Pro League so far.
There is also the possibility of the return of Jawad Yamiq, a defender for Al-Wehda, who was absent from the Atlas Lions’ den in the recent AFCON, along with the emergence of several other promising talents, notably Karim El Berkaoui.
In the UAE league, Sofiane Rahimi, a forward for Al Ain, continues to deliver stellar performances, making him closer to securing his spot with the Atlas Lions after being on the brink of participation in the last AFCON.
“Olympic” Players
According to reliable sources, Regragui is leaning towards keeping a group of Olympic players with the senior national team, such as Ismael Saibari, a midfielder for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, along with Bilal El Khnous and Benjamin Bouchouari and Shadi Riyadh.
Regragui is also counting on promising talents such as Amir Richarson, Osama Al Azouzi, Amin Adli, and Abdel Samad Zelzouli, as young names expected to maintain their position with the Atlas Lions, representing an investment in the future.
Regragui and Local Players
With the departure of left-back Yahya Attia Allah from Wydad Casablanca to Sochi in Russia, the representation of local players in the senior national team is likely to be absent at the moment, except for Mehdi Benabid, the goalkeeper of the Royal Army, as the third goalkeeper.
Regragui will face the difficult task of assessing the current level of local players and their eligibility to join the Atlas Lions through either inviting or not inviting some local names.
Friendly Matches for the Atlas Lions
The Moroccan national team will face Angola on Friday, March 22nd, at the Grand Stadium in Agadir. In another match, the “Atlas Lions” will face Mauritania on the same pitch on Tuesday, March 26th.
These two friendly matches are part of the national team’s preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
