Morocco will name its squad for the opening round of AFCON 2027 qualifiers on September 17, 2026, roughly a week before the Atlas Lions open Group A play against Gabon and Lesotho. The date was reported by the Moroccan sports daily Al Mountakhab and relayed by Morocco World News as the working schedule for the coming international window. Releasing the list about a week before camp begins follows standard practice across national teams, giving players enough notice to arrange travel and giving staff time to plan training sessions before the first match. Squad selection and national team management for these qualifiers fall under the authority of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, which oversees all aspects of football governance in the country. The team, nicknamed the Atlas Lions, has built a reputation as one of Africa’s most competitive national sides in recent years.
Morocco will announce its AFCON 2027 qualifying squad on September 17, 2026, about a week before facing Gabon and Lesotho.
The qualifying window runs from September 21 to October 6, 2026, though exact dates for the Gabon and Lesotho fixtures have not yet been confirmed. Morocco will host Gabon before traveling to face Lesotho, opening a campaign that also includes Niger later in the group stage. Only the top two teams in Group A will advance to the AFCON 2027 finals, so early results carry real weight in shaping the qualification picture.
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi will oversee the selection process while managing a squad currently dealing with disciplinary matters. Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari are both suspended heading into the opening qualifiers, forcing Ouahbi to weigh alternatives in defense and midfield. Despite those absences, Morocco enters the cycle ranked sixth in the FIFA world rankings, among the strongest sides in Africa heading into 2027 qualifying.
The expected squad core reflects continuity from recent AFCON campaigns. Yassine Bounou, Mounir Mohamedi, and Anas Tagnaouti remain the primary options in goal. Noussair Mazraoui and Nayef Aguerd anchor the defense, with younger players like Adam Aznou and Yahya Attiat-Allah pushing for minutes.
Midfield options include Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss, and Amir Richardson, giving Ouahbi both experience and creativity to work with. Up front, Ayoub El Kaabi, Soufiane Rahimi, Brahim Díaz, and Youssef En-Nesyri lead a group that also features wide attackers Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Ilias Akhomach.
Facing Gabon and Lesotho as familiar opponents from past qualifying cycles, Morocco will look to open Ouahbi’s project with two positive results before turning attention to Niger later in the group.
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