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Morocco Eyes Young Talents for World Cup Qualifier Squad

Thursday 23 January 2025, by Said

The coach of the Moroccan national football team, Walid Regragui, is working behind the scenes to prepare the next training camp for the Atlas Lions. Scheduled for March at the Mohammed VI Football Center in Rabat, this camp will serve as a launch pad for the crucial matches against Niger and Tanzania, counting towards the qualifications for the 2026 World Cup.

While the final list remains secret, significant changes are to be expected. Regragui, who has recently traveled through Europe to supervise young talents, could well have a few surprises in store for Moroccan supporters.

Two names are circulating insistently: Ayyoub Bouaddi, a 17-year-old prodigy playing at LOSC, and Hamza Igamane, a 22-year-old striker from Glasgow Rangers. These two players, authors of remarkable performances this season, embody the new generation of Moroccan football.

According to indiscretions from the entourage of the national team, Bouaddi and Igamane would be "players on the rise" on whom Regragui intends to rely in the future. The Lille midfielder, who also holds French nationality, would be a valuable reinforcement for the Atlas Lions.

Hamza Igamane, for his part, is already turning heads. Noussair Mazraoui, the defender of Manchester United, did not skimp on praise for him in an interview with Daily Record: "Moroccan supporters are closely following the performances of Hamza Igamane in the Scottish championship, especially after his decisive goals in difficult matches. He could therefore have the opportunity to join the Atlas Lions team during the next training camp, which would not surprise me. However, the final decision belongs to coach Walid Regragui."

With 13 goals in 25 games for Glasgow Rangers, Igamane has all the cards in hand to shine in the colors of Morocco. The future will tell us if Regragui will give him his chance as early as March.