Younes Taha Appears For The First Time In Morocco’s Preselection For The 2027 AFCON

FC Twente winger Younes Taha was included in Morocco’s preselection for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, according to De Telegraaf, marking his first involvement with the senior national team after previously representing Morocco U23.

The report, first published by Dutch outlet De Telegraaf and later picked up by Moroccan and African sports media, stressed that inclusion in the wider preselection did not guarantee a place in the final squad.

Morocco was set to host Gabon in Rabat before traveling to Bloemfontein, South Africa, to face Lesotho, with additional friendlies also mentioned as a possibility for early October.

When the final 27-man squad was officially announced, Taha’s name was absent, confirming his involvement had stopped at the preselection stage.

At club level, Taha has been used mainly as a right winger or attacking midfielder at FC Twente, with a stated preference for the right flank despite being left-footed.

In the early stages of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season, he recorded two goals and two assists across nine matches in all competitions and had started in five consecutive games, suggesting a growing role within the squad.

Sources differ on his shirt number, listing either 19 or 10.

His international experience so far has come entirely with Morocco’s U23 team, for which he made 11 appearances and scored three goals since 2023.

He was part of the squad that won the 2023 U23 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted in Morocco under coach Issame Charaï, scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Congo during that tournament. Another young talent to have emerged from Morocco’s football pipeline in recent years is Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, who has also drawn attention as a rising prospect.

Born in the Netherlands, with sources citing either Amsterdam or Drachten, Taha’s preselection reflects Morocco’s broader approach of scouting European-based players with Moroccan heritage for future consideration.