Rabat—Today, Morocco’s new head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, revealed his first squad ahead of friendlies against Ecuador (March 27 in Madrid) and Paraguay (March 31 in Lens).
Ouahbi, who takes over from Walid Regragui, starts a new chapter with the Atlas Lions. These two friendlies in Europe are an important chance for Ouahbi to see his new squad in action before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Ouahbi’s first squad gives a clear idea of his plan: combine experience with youth, and start building Morocco’s next team.
The squad has a fair mix of veteran leaders and promising young players, many of whom have already proved themselves with Morocco’s U20s. In total, there are five new faces getting their very first senior call-up.
Squad
Goalkeepers
- Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal FC)
- El Mehdi El Harrar (Raja)
- El Mehdi Benabid (Wydad)
Defenders
- Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United)
- Zakaria El Ouahdi (KRC Genk)
- Issa Diop (Fulham F.C.)
- Ismaël Baouf (SC Cambuur)
- Redouane Halhal (KV Mechelen)
- Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal (Stade Rennais)
- Chadi Riad (Crystal Palace)
- Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV Eindhoven)
- Souffian El Karouani (FC Utrecht)
Midfielders
- Azzedine Ounahi (Panathinaïkos)
- Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven)
- Bilal El Khannouss (Leicester City)
- Neil El Aynaoui (RC Lens)
- Oussama Targhalline (Le Havre AC)
- Samir El Mourabet (RC Strasbourg)
- Mohamed Rabie Hrimat (AS FAR)
Forwards
- Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)
- Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiakos)
- Soufiane Rahimi (Al-Ain)
- Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis)
- Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Mohamed Yassir Zabiri (Stade Rennais)
- Yassine Gessime ( RC Strasbourg)
- Chemsedine Talbi (Club Bruges)
Zoom on new faces: A bet on youth
For his first squad, Mohamed Ouahbi has kept things interesting: bring in fresh faces, keep some experience, and start building for the future.
The biggest story is Issa Diop from Fulham FC, who chose to represent Morocco. He played for France at youth level but never with the senior team, so he was still eligible to play for Morocco. At 29, and with solid Premier League experience, he arrives at the right time to help a defense that is entering a new phase after Romain Saïss stepped away.
Ouahbi has also trusted players he already knows from the U20 team that won the World Cup in Chile in 2025 against Argentina. One of them is Ismaël Baouf, just 19, now playing for SC Cambuur. He has had a strong season with six goals, which is impressive for a defender, and showed great calm and quality during the U20 World Cup.
Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, also 19, is another name to watch. Now with Stade Rennais, he has already played in Ligue 1 this season. Trained at the Mohammed VI Football Academy, he is comfortable on the ball and likes to move forward with it.
Redouane Halhal is another new addition. The 23-year-old plays for Yellow Red KV Mechelen and has been a regular this season, with one goal and two assists. Strong physically and good in his positioning, he has worked his way up through clubs in France, Spain and the Netherlands. After being part of Morocco’s youth teams, he now gets his chance with the senior side.
Up front, Mohamed Yassir Zabiri is one of the most exciting prospects. The 21-year-old striker, also at Stade Rennais, is already the top scorer in Morocco U20 history with 19 goals. He also impressed at the World Cup, showing he can be the kind of number nine Morocco has been looking for.
Finally, Yassine Gessime earns his chance after good performances in France. Now linked with RC Strasbourg, he has 2 goals and six assists this season. Fast and direct, he gives another option on the wings.
Overall, it’s safe to say that Ouahbi trusts young players, adds experience where needed, and is beginning to shape the next Morocco team.
