Atlas Lions release fierce 27-man squad for AFCON 2023
With the AFCON fast approaching (January 13, 2024 – February 11, 2024), it is Morocco’s turn to unveil its list of 27 players.
Most of the so called ‘executives’ are present. However, there are a few surprises.
Favorites for the competition in Cote D’Ivoire, Walid Regragui’s men are approaching this competition with the ambition of following up their beautiful World Cup in Qatar.
Goalkeepers
Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal – Saudi Arabia)
Munir El Kajoui (Al-Wehda – Saudi Arabia)
El Mehdi Benabid (AS Far – Morocco)
Defenders
Achraf Hakimi (PSG – France)
Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich – Germany)
Nayef Aguerd (West Ham – England)
Romain Saïss (Al-Shabab – Saudi Arabia)
Yunis Abdelhamid (Stade de Reims – France)
Abdelkabir Aqbar (Alavés – Spain)
Yahya Attiat Allah (Wydad AC – Morocco)
Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids FC – Egypt)
Chadi Riad (Bétis Sevilla – Spain)
Midfeilders
Bilal El-Khannouss (KRC Genk – Belgium)
Azzeddine Ounahi (Marseille – France)
Michael Amir Richardson (Stade de Reims – France)
Selim Amallah (Valencia – Spain)
Sofyan Amrabat (Manchester United – England)
Oussama El-Azzouzi (Bologna – Italy)
Ismaël Saibari (PSV – Netherlands)
Forwards
Amine Harit (Marseille – France)
Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla FC – Spain)
Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray – Türkiye)
Ayoub El-Kaabi (Olympiakos – Greece)
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Bétis Sevilla – Spain)
Tarik Tissoudali (La Gantoise – Belgium)
Sofiane Boufal (Al-Rayyan – Qatar)
Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen – Germany)
Morocco will not go to Cote D’Ivoire to make up the numbers and this list can attest to that. The objective is quite clear: to return to success in a competition that was only won once in 1976.
To do this, it will first be necessary to get out of a group within their reach, made up of Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo in group F.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar put Morocco at the pinnacle of African football. With a semi-final defeat to France, they achieved what no African team had done before. To continue their good momentum, Walid Regragui’s men will be able to count on their leader Achraf Hakimi as well as serial scorer Youssef En-Nesyri.
