On December 28, Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, disclosed the list of Moroccan players chosen to partake in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). He voiced the aspiration to shatter “the curse of the Africa Cup,” forty-five years after the nation’s previous triumph.
During the presentation of the selected Moroccan players for AFCON 2024 on December 28, Coach Walid Regragui expressed his ambition to break the Africa Cup curse, forty-five years after the country’s last victory.
“As African competitions progress, we distance ourselves from the date of our last win, but that’s no reason to pressure ourselves. We will go there to play our football, to give our best, and especially not to have any regrets,” stated Walid Regragui in a press conference. “The mindset is crucial; we must approach it with confidence to overcome the curse of the Africa Cup,” he added.
Hakimi, Harit, and Ounahi in the Squad
One year after the historic feat of reaching the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, the Lions of the Atlas are considered favorites for AFCON, scheduled from January 13 to February 11 in Ivory Coast.
To tackle the challenge of the competition, Mr. Regragui relies on key players such as Hakim Ziyech, Sofiane Amrabat, Nayef Aguerd, Parisian Achraf Hakimi, and Marseille’s Azzedine Ounahi and Amine Harit. He also includes young talents like Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven) or Chadi Riad (Real Betis), emerging from the U23 team that clinched the under-23 AFCON this year. “We have a good balance between the present and the future,” commented the coach.
Morocco’s 27-players roster for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations
Goalkeepers:
1. Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal FC)
2. Mounir El Kajoui (Al-Wehda FC)
3. El Mehdi Benabid (AS FAR)
Defenders:
1. Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
2. Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids FC)
3. Abdelkabir Abqar (Deportivo Alavés)
4. Ghanem Saiss (Al-Shabab)
5. Nayef Aguerd (West Ham United)
6. Yunis Abdelhamid (Stade Rennais FC)
7. Chadi Riad (Real Betis)
8. Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich)
9. Yahya Attiat Allah (Wydad Casablanca)
Midfielders:
1. Bilal El Khannouss (K.R.C. Genk)
2. Azzeddine Ounahi (Olympique de Marseille)
3. Oussama El Azzouzi (Bologna FC)
4. Sofyan Amrabat (Manchester United)
5. Selim Amallah (FC Valencia)
6. Amir Richardson (Stade de Reims)
7. Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray SK)
8. Amine Harit (Olympique de Marseille)
9. Sofiane Boufal (Al-Rayyan SC)
Forwards:
1. Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven)
2. Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen)
3. Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos FC)
4. Youssef En-Nesyri (FC Sevilla)
5. Tarik Tissoudali (KAA Gent)
6. Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis)
For the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations which will kick off on January 11, 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco is positioned in Group F alongside DR Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania.
