Morocco Coach Faces Selection Dilemma for CAN 2025 Qualifiers Against Gabon and Lesotho

Walid Regragui is having trouble putting together the list of players who will be fielded for Morocco’s next two matches. Once considered essential pillars, especially after their historic run at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Romain Saïss, Sofiane Boufal, Azzedine Ounahi, Nayef Aguerd, are going through a bad patch. The central defender of Al Shabab FC, Romain Saïss, has been excluded from the club’s list for the new season. His future is uncertain. Soufiane Boufal’s future is also uncertain. While he wants to leave Al Rayyan in Qatar before the summer transfer window closes, he has received few offers: a loan proposal from Egypt’s Al Ahly.

Azzedine Ounahi is also in difficulty. Revelation of the 2022 World Cup with Morocco, the midfielder has not been able to establish himself at Marseille, notably due to injuries. He is not in the plans of the new coach, Roberto De Zerbi. The latter is not counting on him for the new season. The situation of the Moroccan central defender of West Ham, Nayef Aguerd, is worrying Regragui. He has not participated in the first matches of the English Premier League with his club.

The situation of these Moroccan internationals forces the Franco-Moroccan technician to look for alternatives. He can count on the players of the Moroccan Olympic team who achieved a historic feat at the Paris Olympic Games by winning the first bronze medal. These include Ilias Akhomach, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Oussama Targhalline. Could Regragui solve the complex equation? He should unveil the list of players who will be called up for the next two matches on August 28.