2027 AFCON Qualifiers: Ouahbi recalls Youssef En-Nesyri and loses five Atlas Lions to injury
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi unveiled a 26-player squad on November 4, 2026, at the Mohammed VI Football Complex auditorium, for the third and fourth matchdays of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Niger.
The highlight of this list is the return of striker Youssef En-Nesyri. Two other players are making a comeback after a long absence from national team call-ups, according to Le360 and Labass: full-back Souffian El Karouani and midfielder Reda Belahyane.
Five absentees, all injured at club level
Ouahbi must, however, manage without five players who have been ruled out due to injuries sustained with their clubs: Soufiane Rahimi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Azzedine Ounahi, Ismael Saibari, and Chadi Riad. Two of them are natural strikers, which explains the recall of En-Nesyri.
A stable core
In goal, the coach has selected Yassine Bounou, Munir El Kajoui, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti, and Alaa Bellaarouch. The defense relies on Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Nayef Aguerd, Issa Diop, Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Redouane Halhal, Ali Maamar, Anass Salah-Eddine, and El Karouani.
The midfield features Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui, Oussama Targhalline, Bilal El Khannouss, Amine Sbai, Belahyane, and Abdellah Ouazane. Up front, En-Nesyri is joined by Brahim Diaz, Yassine Gessime, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Ayoub Oufkir, and Yassir Zabiri.
Morocco leads Group A
The Atlas Lions approach this double-header from a position of strength. They lead Group A with 6 points, following two 2-0 victories against Gabon and Lesotho. Gabon and Niger follow with 3 points each, while Lesotho sits at the bottom with no points.
The first match will be played on November 13, 2026, at the Mohammed V Complex in Casablanca, and the second on November 17 at the Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat. Both matches are scheduled for 8:00 PM, according to Hespress.
For a country that has hosted the AFCON and established itself as one of the continent's leading football nations, the stakes in November are not just about the points: it is about securing qualification without any hiccups despite a depleted squad, and continuing to develop players like Abdellah Ouazane and Ayoub Oufkir, who have few international caps.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.
