Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi has named three uncapped players in his first senior squad as the Atlas Lions prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho. The newcomers are Abdellah Ouazane, Soufian El Faouzi, and Yassir Zabiri.

Morocco will host Gabon in Rabat on September 25 and then travel to Bloemfontein, South Africa, to face Lesotho. They will also play a friendly against Ghana in Tangier.

Seventeen-year-old Ouazane stands out among the newcomers. Zabiri impressed at Racing Santander, while El Faouzi has played well for Schalke 04. The squad features a mix of experienced players and young talents, including forwards like Brahim Diaz and Soufiane Rahimi.

Ouahbi has recalled players like defender Nayef Aguerd, who recently joined Olympique de Marseille, and goalkeeper Alaa Bellarouch from Dinamo Bucharest. Established international players, including captain Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui, remain in the team.

Ouahbi’s selections include 10 defenders and eight midfielders, enhancing competition. One notable absence is Younès Ebnoutalib, who was called up by Germany. Morocco will now prepare for its first competitive match under Ouahbi against Gabon, followed by the match against Lesotho and the friendly with Ghana.

Morocco squad

Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou, Munir El Kajoui, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti, Alaa Bellarouch.

Defenders: Noussair Mazraoui, Anass Salah-Eddine, Marwane Saadane, Nayef Aguerd, Redouane Halhal, Issa Diop, Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, Achraf Hakimi, Zakaria El Ouahdi, Ali Maamar.

Midfielders: Samir El Mourabet, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui, Oussama Targalline, Bilal El Khannouss, Soufian El Faouzi, Azzedine Ounahi, Ismaël Saibari.

Forwards: Brahim Diaz, Yassine Gessime, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Abdellah Ouazane, Soufiane Rahimi, Tawfik Bentayeb, Yassir Zabiri.