Morocco’s Atlas Lions Gear Up for Crucial AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Against Central African Republic

This first session, which was attended by all the called-up players, including Abdessamad Ezzalzouli who joined the group on Monday, was an opportunity for national coach Walid Regragui to emphasize tactical aspects. The Moroccan technician has planned six training sessions for the Atlas Lions to prepare for the two confrontations with the Central African Republic. In addition to Tuesday’s session, two sessions were held on Wednesday, again at the Mohammed VI complex in Salé, two more on Thursday in Maâmora and Saïdia, and the last one on Friday in Oujda. Regragui will hold a press conference at the end of this last session, which will be open to the media.

The young talents called up for the first time to the national team have expressed their joy at joining the den of the Atlas Lions and their commitment to giving their best. This is the case of Osame Sahraoui. "I think it’s a wonderful experience for me, I felt a lot of pride when I received the coach’s invitation and he contacted me. I appreciate his ambition and his philosophy. For me, it’s an exceptional feeling to represent my country," said the left winger of LOSC Lille on the official website of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, inviting Moroccan supporters to continue to support them. "Two important matches await us, and we will do our utmost to win them and not disappoint the Moroccans."

"My feeling was indescribable when Walid Regragui called me to join the training camp," said Youssef Belamri, the left-back of Raja de Casablanca, who was called up by Regragui to fill the absence of Noussair Mazraoui. The young player confided that playing for the national team is indeed a childhood dream come true, but even more so, "the result of the work and efforts of several years." While thanking his parents for their support, he promised "to work hard to make the expected contribution to the national team, and to live up to the expectations of the technical staff and the Moroccan people."

The Moroccan team will cross crampons with its Central African counterpart on October 12 and 15 at the Stade Honneur in Oujda, as part of the third and fourth matchdays of the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Moroccan supporters rushed to buy tickets for these matches, exhausting the first wave in record time. This prompted the FRMF to launch the sale of a second wave of tickets to meet the strong demand.