Morocco: Abde and Salah-Eddine nearly left out of Ouahbi’s latest squad

Mohamed Ouahbi has revealed that Ez Abde and Anass Salah-Eddine were close to missing out on Morocco’s squad for the upcoming matches against Gabon and Lesotho.

The two players were included in the 29-man selection announced by the head coach on Thursday, but both had to satisfy the coaching staff over their physical condition before being called up.

Morocco will face Gabon in Rabat on 25 September before travelling to Bloemfontein, South Africa, to play Lesotho on 29 September in preparation for the CAN 2027 qualifiers. The team could also play one or two friendlies in early October.

Abde’s involvement had been uncertain after the 24-year-old suffered an injury during Morocco’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which he will ultimately miss. The winger has since returned to action with Real Betis, making three appearances this season, including two starts, and scoring one goal.

Salah-Eddine’s selection was decided only on the eve of the squad announcement. The 24-year-old left-back had raised doubts within the coaching staff because of the uncertainty surrounding his situation before completing a move to Panathinaikos at the start of the week.

Ouahbi said a fitness coach had been sent to watch Salah-Eddine in person on Wednesday as he played for Panathinaikos against Kifisia in the Greek league.

The manager also said the player benefited from less intense competition for a place at left-back, allowing him to make the final squad.