Morocco-Ghana friendly in doubt after Black Stars setback

Morocco’s planned friendly against Ghana on 4 October is in doubt after reports that the Black Stars may be unable to travel for the scheduled meeting in Tangier.

The match was officially announced by the Ghana Football Association earlier this month, with Ghana due to face Morocco at the Grand Stade de Tanger during the September-October international window.

However, reports from Morocco say the fixture is now uncertain following an alleged dispute involving outstanding financial payments to Ghana’s national team players.

According to a report published by Hespress, the Ghana Football Association has informed the Royal Moroccan Football Federation that it may not be able to fulfil the fixture.

The report says the disagreement concerns financial dues owed to members of the Black Stars squad.

The same report says some Ghana players have allegedly been reluctant to travel to Morocco, adding further uncertainty over the match.

The Moroccan federation is reportedly considering alternatives in case the friendly cannot go ahead.

Friendly arranged for Tangier

The meeting between Morocco and Ghana had been scheduled to take place on Sunday, 4 October at the Grand Stade de Tanger.

The Ghana Football Association had confirmed the fixture on its official website, stating that the two teams would use the game to assess their squads during the international window.

The match was scheduled for a 7pm kick-off in Morocco.

The fixture had also been included in Ghana’s international programme after a proposed friendly against Tanzania was cancelled.

Ghana were expected to travel to Morocco after completing their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.

Black Stars had planned three-match programme

Ghana’s schedule for the international window included two competitive fixtures before the proposed trip to Morocco.

Carlos Queiroz’s side were due to open their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign against Côte d’Ivoire on 24 September before hosting The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Morocco fixture was then expected to conclude Ghana’s international programme during the window.

The GFA had also included the friendly when announcing Queiroz’s 24-man squad.

The squad included Mohammed Kudus, who returned after recovering from a lengthy injury, as well as several other players returning to the national team.

Morocco preparing for AFCON qualifiers

Morocco had also planned to use the Ghana match as part of their preparations during the same international window.

The Atlas Lions began their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign with a home match against Gabon before travelling to face Lesotho.

The Ghana friendly was intended to give Morocco another opportunity to assess its squad after the qualifying fixtures.

Tickets for the match had already gone on sale, with the fixture still being publicly listed for 4 October at the Grand Stadium of Tangier.

That means the latest reports represent a change from the previously announced plans rather than an already confirmed cancellation.

Final decision yet to be announced

The status of the fixture remains unresolved.

The report from Morocco says the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has begun looking at alternative options should Ghana be unable to participate.

However, there has been no formal announcement in the material available confirming that the friendly has been cancelled.

The Ghana Football Association had previously confirmed the match as part of the Black Stars’ programme, while Morocco had also continued preparations for the fixture.

For now, the 4 October meeting remains uncertain as the two football authorities deal with the reported issue.

If Ghana are unable to travel, Morocco would have to consider whether to replace the fixture with another opponent or make alternative arrangements for the date.

The proposed match had been expected to bring together two established African national teams in Tangier.

Instead, its immediate future now depends on whether the reported dispute can be resolved and Ghana’s participation confirmed.