Morocco set to revisit Ouazane, El Faouzi and Igamane for September internationals

Mohamed Ouahbi is reportedly preparing to bring Abdellah Ouazane, Soufian El Faouzi and Hamza Igamane into the Morocco set-up for the first international break of the 2026-27 season.

All three players missed Morocco’s run at the 2026 World Cup, but are understood to have been included in Ouahbi’s preliminary plans for the squad’s September gathering, according to Moroccan newspaper Al-Ahdath Al-Maghribia.

Morocco will begin their qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during the international window, which runs from 21 September to 6 October. Their opening fixtures will be against Gabon and Lesotho.

The reported selection would represent a notable opportunity for the three players, with Ouahbi said to have been particularly impressed by Ouazane’s start to the new campaign.

The Ajax midfielder scored his first professional goal last weekend, producing an impressive strike. That came almost a month after he registered his first assist in the club’s UEFA Conference League qualifying play-off at the end of July.

El Faouzi, who plays for Schalke 04, has already been involved with the senior Morocco squad. He was called up at the end of May for the 5-0 victory against Burundi, a match that preceded the announcement of the World Cup squad, but he was subsequently left out of the final selection.

Igamane’s possible return remains dependent on his fitness. Ouahbi is reported to have asked Morocco doctor Christophe Baudot to monitor the striker’s condition and establish whether he will be ready to take part in the September camp.

The LOSC forward underwent surgery at the end of January after suffering a serious cruciate ligament injury. The problem ruled him out of the World Cup, while his anticipated return date had been set for October.

That timing means Igamane’s availability for the next international window is uncertain, with his fitness expected to determine whether he can be considered for selection.

Chadi Riad is also reportedly part of Ouahbi’s plans despite having been injured during the World Cup. His inclusion would provide another potential return to the Morocco squad as the manager assesses his options for the opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Ouahbi is expected to announce his final squad on 17 September.

Morocco’s previous World Cup campaign ended with the team in the world’s top eight for the second successive tournament. Ouahbi is now turning his attention to the new international season, with the matches against Gabon and Lesotho set to launch the team’s qualification route for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.