Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has shed light on his decision to call up Hamza Igamane while leaving out Maroan Sannadi for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Niger and Tanzania on March 21 and 25 in Oujda.
Igamane, who has been in impressive form for Glasgow Rangers this season, received his first senior call-up as part of the 26-man Atlas Lions squad.
Meanwhile, Sannadi, who recently joined Athletic Bilbao, remains under Regragui’s watchful eye but was not included in the final list.
Sannadi on the Radar but not yet ready
Despite missing out on selection, the 1.92m forward is being closely monitored by the Moroccan coaching staff.
The 20-year-old made the switch to La Liga during the winter transfer window and has already made seven appearances for Bilbao, scoring once.
“He’s a player who was in the pre-selection. He’s a new player. He’s just started in La Liga. He’s playing his sixth match (seventh match in reality, editor’s note). He already has one goal to his name, a very good profile for the future. The real message sent to Maroan Sannadi remains his pre-selection. To tell him that he’s close to the Lair. To be there, you have to perform and score goals like the other strikers in the national team like En-Nesyri, Rahimi, or El Kaabi,” Regragui explained.
Although Sannadi has shown promise, the Moroccan coach made it clear that consistency and regular goal contributions will be key for him to earn a place in future squads.
Igamane’s call-up a reward for consistency
On the other hand, Igamane has earned his spot after an impressive campaign with Rangers.
The forward has accumulated over 2,000 minutes of playing time, netting 13 goals and providing three assists so far this season.
His selection has also been influenced by the absence of Ayoub El Kaabi, who is sidelined due to injury.
The striker spot in the Moroccan national team is becoming expensive. Hamza Igamane has performed well for a while.He is now taking advantage of Ayoub El Kaabi’s injury. He has the opportunity to acclimatize to the squad and gain confidence, and above all, score goals,” Regragui stated.
The upcoming fixtures will present Igamane with an opportunity to establish himself within the Moroccan setup.
With competition for attacking positions intensifying, his ability to seize this moment could play a crucial role in determining his long-term future with the national team.
