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Rabat – Walid Regragui, head coach of the Atlas Lions, announced his squad for the October international fixtures during a press conference held today at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Sale.
Morocco is set to face the Central African Republic on October 12 and October 15 at the d’Honneur Stadium in Oujda as part of the third and fourth games of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The squad of selected players includes the following goalkeepers: Munir Mohamedi (RS Berkane), Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), and Salaheddine Chihab (MAS).
In the defense lineup, Regragui has called upon Achraf Hakimi (PSG, France), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids, Egypt), Abdelkabir Abkar (Deportivo Alavès, Spain), Jamal Harkass (Wydad de Casablanca), Nayef Aguerd (Real Sociedad, Spain), Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal (Stade Rennais, France), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United, United Kingdom), and Adam Aznou (Bayern Munich, Germany).
The midfielders selected are Bilal El Khannouss (Leicester, England), Ismael Saibari (PSV, Netherlands), Sofyan Amrabat (Fenerbahçe, Turkiye), Oussama Targhaline (Le Havre, France), Réda Belhyane (Hellas Verona, Italy), and Azzedine Ounahi (Panathinaikos, Turkiye).
Forwards included in the squad are Ilias Akhoumach (Villarreal, Spain), Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Eliesse Ben Seghir (AS Monaco, France), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain, UAE), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiakos, Greece), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahçe, Turkey), Osame Sahraoui (Lille, France), and Abde Ezzalzouli (Real Betis, Spain).
Read Also: AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Morocco Clinches 4-1 Victory Over Gabon
The 25-man squad features notable absences, including Brahim Diaz and Hakim Ziyech, who are both sidelined due to injuries. However, young talents such as Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal received his first call-up.
During today’s press conference, when asked about the absence of Ziyech and Diaz, Regragui responded that the two players are injured hence their absence from the final selected squad.
Regragui also commended the presence of two players on the list, saying, “Two young players who have great potential are Ismael Saibari and Bilal El Khannouss. I believe they will contribute a lot to Morocco in the future.”
Although Morocco has already secured qualification as hosts of AFCON 2025, they are focused on asserting their dominance in their group, which features Gabon, the Central African Republic, and Lesotho.
The tournament, scheduled for December 21, 2015, to January 18, 2026, will mark Morocco’s return to the African football scene as a prominent powerhouse on the continent.
Both matches are scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m., as confirmed by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on its official website.
The Atlas Lions currently lead Group B with 6 points, following victories over Gabon (4-1) and Lesotho (1-0). The Central African Republic is tied for second place with Gabon, each with 3 points.
