The Atlas Lions will take on the Central African Republic team on Saturday as part of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in the Stade d’Honneur in Oujda.
The match is the Moroccan national team’s first return to the Oujda stadium since its last game there, a 1-1 friendly draw against Libya, in October 11, 2019.
This encounter is part of a double-header in the qualifiers for the 2025 Afcon. The opening match will kick off at 8:00 PM on Saturday, while the second match will kick off at the same time and place the following Tuesday.
Going into these games, coach Walid Regragui faces several challenges. Key squad members such as Hakimi Ziyech and Brahim Diaz will be absent from the match, leaving a gaping hole in the team’s composition.
New faces such as Osame Sahraoui, Reda Belahyan, Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Jamal Harkass, and Younes Belammari have big roles to fill up in the upcoming match.
Although Morocco has already secured a spot at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 as the host nation, the upcoming qualifying matches remain critical for the national team’s preparations.
Since its victories against Gabon (4-2) and Lesotho (1-0), the national team has delivered only modest performances. In the upcoming matches, head coach Walid Regragui will have to meet the challenge of refining the team’s play and enhancing its competitiveness.