Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, has named a 27-man squad to face Gabon and Lesotho in Agadir on September 6 and 9, respectively, as part of the opening rounds of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
Regragui has opted to introduce two new faces to the national team lineup. Zakaria El Ouahdi, a versatile full-back from Genk who was instrumental in Morocco’s bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has earned his first call-up.
Alongside him is 18-year-old Adam Aznou of Bayern Munich, a promising left-sided player whose inclusion appears aimed at securing his international future with Morocco amid interest from Spain.
Notably absent from the squad are some key players. Chadi Riad, sidelined with an injury, and Romain Saiss, the team’s captain, have both been omitted.
Saiss, who has struggled for playing time at club level, is left out for the second consecutive call-up, with 36-year-old Yunis Abdelhamid of Saint-Etienne making a surprise return after a lengthy absence since the last AFCON. Achraf Dari, recently transferred to Al Ahly, also rejoins the squad.
The midfield sees some significant changes due to the absences of Oussama El Azzouzi and Ismael Saibari.
Despite his current difficulties at Olympique de Marseille, Azzedine Ounahi has been called up, while Amine Harit, despite a strong start to the season with Marseille, continues to be excluded from the national side.
Morocco’s squad retains its core of experienced players, including Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, Yassine Bounou, Sofyan Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, and Youssef En-Nesyri. Although already qualified for the AFCON as hosts, Morocco is participating in the qualifiers to maintain competitive momentum.
These upcoming matches against Gabon and Lesotho will test Regragui’s new selections and strategies, as he seeks to balance the blend of fresh talent and seasoned veterans in preparation for the tournament ahead.
لائحة المنتخب الوطني المستدعاة لمباراتي الغابون 🇬🇦 و ليسوتو 🇱🇸
🚨 Our National Team’s Squad list for the next matches against Gabon & Lesotho pic.twitter.com/DmgHIcvttq— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) August 29, 2024
