Morocco national football team’s coach Herve Renard on Sunday named a 27-man provisional squad for the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for later this month.
The Atlas Lions will be hoping to replicate the result realized by their Africa-based players who won the 2018 African Nations Championship.
The 2019 AFCON tournament will be staged in Egypt between 21 June and 19 July.
Coach Renard included Dutch-based duo, Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mezraoui both with Ajax, Borussia Dortmund left back Achraf Hakim and Al-Duhail defender Medhi Benatia.
Al-Nasr forward and Saoudi League best player and top Scorer Abderazak Hamdallah is back to Morocco’s squad following his outstanding performance this season, scoring 42 goals in all competitions.
Morocco is pooled alongside Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa and Namibia in Group D, and will open their campaign against the Namibians.
The Atlas Lions will hold a training camp in their home country beginning June 4 at Maamoura Football Centre in Sale. They are scheduled to play in two friendlies in Marrakech, against Gambia on June 12, and Zambia four days later.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Mounir El Kajoui (Malaga, Spain), Yassine Bounou (Girona, Spain), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Athletic Club), Abdelali Mhamdi (RS Berkane, Morocco)
Defenders: Marouane Da Costa (Ittihad Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), Ghanem Saiss (Wolverhampton, England), Mehdi Benatia (Al-Duhail Sports, Qatar), Achraf Hakimi (Dortmund, Germany), Abdelhamid Yunis (Stade de Reims, France), Noussair Mazroaui (Ajax, Netherlands), Nabil Dirar (Fenerbache, Turkey.
Midfielders: Karim El Ahmadi Arroussi (Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia), Youssef Aït Bennasser (St Etienne, France), M’barek Boussoufa (Al-Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Younès Belhanda (Galatasaray, Turkey), Fayçal Fajr (Caen, France), Abdelkrim Baadi (Hassania of Agadir, Morocco, Mehdi Bourabia (Sassuolo, Italy), Amine Harit (Schalke 04, Germany)
Forwards: Nordin Amrabat (Al-Nasr, Saudi Arabia), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Ayoub El Kaâbi (Hebei China Fortune FC, China), Khalid Boutaïb (Zamalek, Egypt), Youssef En-Nesyri (Leganes , Spain), Soufiane Boufal (Celta Vigo, Spain), Osama Idrissi (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Abderazzak Hamddalh (Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia).
