Reports suggest Tarik Ouahbi is set to drop six players from Morocco’s World Cup group, including Sofyan Amrabat, Ayoub El Kaabi, Youssef Belammari, Amine Sbai, Munir El Mohamedi, and Marwan Saadane, citing injuries and form issues.
The provisional federation list reportedly contains around 50 names, leaving considerable room for changes before the final squad is confirmed. Officials have not yet dispatched call-ups, meaning several players’ status remains provisional rather than definitively settled.
Three of the expected absences are tied directly to injury. Chadi Riad, the Crystal Palace defender, and Youssef Belammari of Al Ahly are both recovering from ACL ruptures, while Olympiakos forward Ayoub El Kaabi is sidelined with a fractured tibia. None of the three are expected to return before the end of the season, ruling them out of contention for the immediate future.
Other omissions appear linked to form and fitness rather than medical issues. Marwan Saadane (Al-Fateh), Anass Salah-Eddine (AS Roma) and Redouane Halhal (Venezia) are reportedly among those left out due to insufficient preparation. A separate report names Sofyan Amrabat, Amine Sbai and goalkeeper Munir El Mohamedi alongside El Kaabi, Belammari and Saadane as six World Cup participants at risk of exclusion. Ayoube Amaimouni has also been mentioned as a possible casualty of the restructuring.
At the same time, four uncapped or fringe players are being considered for inclusion. Younes Ebnoutalib, a forward at Eintracht Frankfurt, has been cited as a likely addition following a strong start to his club season. Yassir Zabiri, who plays for Racing Santander and previously won the U-20 World Cup, could earn his first senior call-up after missing the final World Cup squad. Othmane Maamma, a Watford defender-midfielder, is another name mentioned given his club form and youth-level pedigree. Espanyol left-back Omar El Hilali rounds out the group, seen as a potential option to strengthen full-back depth.
The changes would mark a departure from the core group that featured at the World Cup, including Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi and Sofyan Amrabat, as Ouahbi appears to favor younger, technically versatile profiles heading into future competitions. This overhaul comes as part of a broader look at the Morocco national team squad ahead of upcoming competitions.
Get the Atlas Lions Weekly
The biggest Morocco football stories, player updates and analysis—delivered to your inbox every Sunday.
