Newly-crowned African Goalkeeper of the Year, Yassine Bono and African Player of the Year finalist Achraf Hakimi have both been named in Morocco’s final 27-man shortlist for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, released on Thursday.
Bono, who enjoyed a successful year with Sevilla before moving to Saudi side Al-Hilal, and Paris Saint-Germain fullback Hakimi both played an integral role in helping the Atlas Lions make history at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, when they became the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the Mundial.
The two stars headline Morocco’s stat-studded list, which includes big names in the African football scene like Galatasaray’s Hakim Ziyech, Sevilla forward Youssef En-Neysri, and Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
Regragui, the reigning CAF Coach of the Year, named eleven new players that were absent from last year’s World Cup squad as Morocco gears up for their 21st outing at the AFCON in Ivory Coast.
اللائحة النهائية لأسود الأطلس مستعدة لنهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا كوت ديفوار 2023
???? Team list confirmed for the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023#DimaMaghrib ???????? pic.twitter.com/3LLpH1QbXJ
— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) December 28, 2023
The 48-year-old surprisingly named Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui into the squad despite him currently being out with a muscle bundle tear in his left thigh.
Another surprise is the omission of 33-year-old Al-Ittihad forward Abderrazak Hamdallah, who is in good form in the Saudi Pro League with ten goals in 14 matches, from the squad.
Morocco is in Group F with Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and their quest for a second AFCON title begins on January 17 against Tanzania at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro.
FULL MOROCCO 27-MAN LIST FOR AFCON 2023
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Munir Mohamedi (Al Wehda, Saudi Arabia), Mehdi Benabid (AS FAR, Morocco).
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain, France), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich, Germany), Yahya Attiat Allah (Wydad Casablanca, Morocco), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham, England), Romain Saiss (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Yunis Abdelhamid (Reims, France), Chadi Riad (Real Betis, Spain), Abdel Abqar (Alaves, Spain), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids, Egypt).
Midfielders: Amir Richardson (Reims, France), Sofyan Amrabat (Manchester United, England), Oussama El Azzouzi (Bologna, Italy), Selim Amallah (Valencia, Spain), Bilal El Khannouss (Genk, Belgium), Azzedine Ounahi (Marseille, France), Ismael Saibari (PSV, Netherlands), Amine Harit (Marseille, France).
Forwards: Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray, Turkey), Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Abde Ezzalzouli (Real Betis, Spain), Sofiane Boufal (Al Rayyan, Qatar), Tarik Tissoudali (Gent, Belgium), Youssef En-Nesyri (Seville, Spain), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos, Greece).
