Walid Regragui Revamps the Atlas Lions with Young European Talent

Morocco’s national coach Walid Regragui is moving toward a reshaping of his squad by calling up seven new talents playing in Europe’s top leagues. For the matches scheduled in Madrid and Lens, the Moroccan manager wants to bring in players from the Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1 to compensate for the decline of some long-standing senior players.

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Among the expected reinforcements are Othmane Maamma, who shone at the latest Youth World Cup, and striker Yassir Zabiri. Attention is also focused on Ayyoub Bouaddi, the Lille midfield prodigy who is also being courted by the France national team. His club performances have convinced the Moroccan staff to step up their efforts to secure his international future.

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This shift toward youth comes after criticism following the Africa Cup of Nations final lost to Senegal. Several specialists had pointed to the coach’s decisions, accusing him of selecting injured or out-of-form players—a choice that had reduced his ability to “make the difference” during decisive tactical changes.

Regragui’s strategy now aims to instill early maturity in players under 22, such as Abdellah Ouazane (Ajax) and Ismaël Baouf. The stated objective is to build a competitive squad for the 2026 World Cup, with the ultimate ambition of creating a national team capable of winning the 2030 World Cup hosted on Moroccan soil.