National team coach Mohamed Ouahbi unveiled his squad this Thursday, September 17, for Morocco’s first two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The Atlas Lions will face Gabon on September 25 in Rabat before travelling to South Africa to take on Lesotho on September 29 in Bloemfontein.

The first squad of the new qualifying campaign includes 29 players, featuring several established members of the national team as well as new faces and promising young players.

The 29 players called up

Goalkeepers

• Yassine Bounou

• Munir El Kajoui

• Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti

• Alaa Bellaarouch

Defenders

• Noussair Mazraoui

• Anass Salah-Eddine

• Marwane Saadane

• Nayef Aguerd

• Redouane Halhal

• Issa Diop

• Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal

• Achraf Hakimi

• Zakaria El Ouahdi

• Ali Maamar

Midfielders

• Samir El Mourabet

• Ayyoub Bouaddi

• Neil El Aynaoui

• Oussama Targhalline

• Bilal El Khannouss

• Soufiane El-Faouzi

• Azzedine Ounahi

• Ismael Saibari

Forwards

• Brahim Diaz

• Yassine Gessime

• Abdessamad Ezzalzouli

• Abdellah Ouazane

• Soufiane Rahimi

• Tawfik Bentayeb

• Yassir Zabiri

A squad to launch the qualifying campaign

The announcement comes as Morocco prepares to begin its Group A campaign in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, where the Atlas Lions will also face Niger. The draw placed Morocco in a group alongside Gabon, Lesotho and Niger.

The first match is scheduled for Friday, September 25, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat against Gabon. Four days later, Morocco will travel to Bloemfontein, South Africa, to face Lesotho.

This squad marks Mohamed Ouahbi’s first official selection for the qualifying campaign. The coach had previously stated that he intended to base his choices on players’ performances, without making age or the league in which they play a determining factor.

The squad features several young players alongside established figures such as Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd, Noussair Mazraoui, Yassine Bounou, Brahim Diaz and Azzedine Ounahi.

Morocco will face Gabon on September 25, followed by Lesotho vs. Morocco on September 29. These two matches will officially launch the Atlas Lions’ 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.