Morocco name 14-player squad for inaugural U15 World Cup

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has announced the 14-player squad selected by Karim Meftal for the first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup, which will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 22 to 30 October.

The Morocco squad features six players from the Mohammed VI Football Academy, making it the most heavily represented institution in the selection. The academy is widely regarded as a leading national centre for developing young talent.

Club Jeunesse Ben Guerir is the next best represented organisation, with five of its players included. The remaining three places go to Mohamed Fahd El Assas of FUS Rabat, Mohamed Amine Rezgaoui of AS FAR Rabat and Ziad Aboud of RS Berkane.

No player from Rajani du Wydad Casablanca was selected by Meftal for the tournament.

Morocco will play five matches in the opening phase of the competition. The Lionceaux de l’Atlas begin their campaign on Saturday, 24 October, against the Philippines.

They will then face Costa Rica and Belize in two matches on Sunday, before completing the first phase with fixtures against Curacao and Liberia on Monday.

The tournament’s first phase will determine what happens next for Morocco. The schedule for the second stage will be confirmed at a later date, depending on the results achieved by the participating teams.

That second stage is scheduled to take place from 28 to 30 October.