Morocco Announces Squad for 2021 AFCON Qualifier Match Against CAR

Rabat – Vahid Halilhodzic, the Atlas Lions’ coach, released today the official squad list for the upcoming match against the Central African Republic.

The upcoming game is the 3rd round of qualifiers for the Moroccan team and is set to take place on March 27 at Casablanca’s Mohammed V Stadium.

The Moroccan Royal Federation of Football announced the full list of players on its official website.

The preliminary Atlas Lions list includes 49 players who take part in training sessions between 23 and 31 March.

Halilhodzic called up players from international leagues, including midfielder Hakim Ziyech from AFC Ajax, and attacker Achraf Hakimi from BVB Dortmund.

The list also included five names from the Moroccan league, with goalkeeper Anas Zniti, and defender Badr Benoun from Raja Club Athletic joining the squad.

The Atlas Lions have already won four points in the qualifiers in their matches against Mauritania (0-0) and Burundi (3-0).

Speaking at a press conference, the coach said that coaching the Atlas Lions is both an “honor” and a “big responsibility.”

International football association FIFA ranked Morocco’s national football team 43rd globally this month. The has maintained the same position since December 2019.

Here is the full list of Halilhodzic 49 Atlas Lions:

Goalkeepers:

Anas Zniti (Raja Casablanca); Hicham El Majhad (Ittihad Riadi of Tangier); Monir El Kajoui (Malaga FC/Spain); Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca); Yassine Bounou (Sevilla FC/Spain)

Defenders:

Fouad Chafik (Dijon/FRA); Issam Chebake (Malatyaspor/TUR); Noussair Mazraoui (AFC Ajax/Pays Bas); Badr Benoun (Raja Casablanca); Saiss Ghanem (Wolverhampton/ENG); Jawad El Yamiq (Real Zaragoza/Spain); Samy Mmaee A Nwambebe (K Saint-Trond/BEL); Nayef Aguerd (Dijon/FRA); Yunis Abdelhamid (Stade Reims/FRA); .Zouhair Feddal (Real Betis/Spain); Hamza Mendyl (Dijon/FRA); Abdelkrim Baadi (Hassania Sport Union Agadir); Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahçe/TUR); Amir Absalem (Almere City/Netherlands)

Midfielders:

Abdelhamid Sabiri (SC Paderborn/GER); Driss Saddiki (Willem II/Netherlands); Sofyan Amrabat (Hellas Verona FC/ITA); Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca); Mohamed Ali Bamaamar (AS FAR); Aymen Barkok (Dusseldorf/GER); Faycal Fajr (Getafe FC/Spain); Walid El Karti (Wydad Casablanca); Adel Taarabt (SL Benfica/POR); Selim Amallah (Standard de Liège/BEL); Nassim Boujellab (Schalke GER); Sofiane Kiyine (US Salernitana/ITA); Oussama Tannane (Vitesse Arnhem/Netherlands); Yassine Benrahou (Nimes/FRA); Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray/TUR); Hakim Ziyech (AFC Ajax/Netherlands)

Forwards:

Achraf Hakimi (BVB Dotmund/GER); Noureddine Amrabat (AL Nassr FC/KSA); Mohamed Rharsalla (Solvan Bratisalava/SVK); Mehdi Carcela (Standard de Liège/BEL); Oussama Idrissi (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands); Rafik Zekhnini (FC Twente/Netherlands); Sofiane Boufal (Southampton/ENG); Achraf Bencharki (Zamalek/EGY); Karim El Berkaoui (Hassania Sport Union Agadir); Oualid Azzarou (Ettifaq/KSA); Rachid Alioui (Angers/FRA); Youssef El Arabi (Olympiakos FC/GRE); Youssef En-Nesiry (FC Séville/GER); Amine Harit (Schalke 04/GER)