AFCON-2025 in Morocco, a ‘Trial Run’ for World Cup 2030 Organization – Belgian Daily

The Moroccan national football team comfortably beat their Central African counterpart in a 5 to null thrashing on Saturday at Oujda’s Honor Stadium, in the 3rd day of Group B of the African qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (18’), Azzeddine Ounahi (38’, 45 ‘+2), Achraf Hakimi (45’) and Soufiane Rahimi (pen. 71’) signed their names on the scoresheet in this demolition job.

The Atlas Lions, who have already qualified for the 2025 AFCON finals as hosts, consolidated their position at the top of Group B with 9 points after wins over Gabon (4-1) and Lesotho (1-0) on the first two matchdays.

Morocco’s national football coach, Walid Regragui, has announced the 25-man squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against the Central African Republic. The matches are set to take place on October 12 and 15 at the Stade d’Honneur in Oujda, as part of the qualification campaign for the 2025 AFCON, which Morocco will host.

Although Morocco has already secured its place in the 2025 AFCON as the host nation, the team is competing in Group B alongside Gabon, the Central African Republic, and Lesotho. The Atlas Lions have made an impressive start to the qualifiers, defeating Gabon 4-1 and Lesotho 1-0 in their first two matches.

Goalkeepers:

– Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane)

– Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia)

– Salaheddine Chihab (Maghreb of Fez)

Defenders:

– Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, France)

– Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids, Egypt)

– Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United, England)

– Abdelkabir Abqar (Deportivo Alavés, Spain)

– Nayef Aguerd (Real Sociedad, Spain)

– Adam Aznou (Bayern Munich, Germany)

– Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal (Stade Rennais, France)

– Jamal Harkass (Wydad Casablanca)

Midfielders:

– Sofyan Amrabat (Fenerbahçe, Türkiye)

– Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands)

– Bilal El Khannous (Leicester City, England)

– Oussama Targhaline (Le Havre, France)

– Azzeddine Ounahi (Panathinaikos, Greece)

– Reda Belahyane (Hellas Verona, Italy)

Forwards:

– Ilias Akhomach (Villareal CF, Spain)

– Amine Adli (Leverkusen, Germany)

– Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain, UAE)

– Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos, Greece)

– Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahçe, Türkiye)

– Iliesse Ben Seghir (AS Monaco, France)

– Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis, Spain)

– Osame Sahraoui (Lille, France)

Morocco’s national team coach Walid Regragui will hold a press conference in Agadir on Thursday ahead of the game against Gabon on the first matchday of Morocco-2025 Africa Cup of Nations group B qualifiers. 

After the press conference, to be held at the Grand Stade d’Agadir’s conference room at 6:30 p.m., a training session will be open for photography for the initial 15 minutes starting 7:00 p.m., the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said.

In turn, Gabonese team’s coach Thierry Dieudonné Mouyouma will hold his pre-match press conference at 5.45 p.m. on Thursday, the Federation wrote on its website.

Morocco’s game against Gabon is scheduled for next Friday at the Grand Stade d’Agadir at 8:00 p.m.

 Morocco football head coach, Walid Regragui, unveiled on Thursday the list of 26 players selected to take part in the two upcoming matches against Gabon and Lesotho on September 6 and 9 respectively at the Grand Stadium of Agadir, as part of the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Morocco-2025.

Following the draw, Morocco, already qualified as hosts, were placed in Group B alongside Gabon, Central Africa and Lesotho.

The finals of the CAN (Morocco-2025) will take place from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026.

Here follows the list of players called up:

— Goalkeepers: Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane), Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal FC/Saudi Arabia), El Mehdi Benabid (AS FAR)

— Defenders : Achraf Hakimi (Paris SG/France), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United/England), Abdelkabir Abqar (Deportivo Alaves/Spain), Yunis Abdelhamid (Saint-Etienne/France), Achraf Dari (Al Ahly/Egypt), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham United/England), Zakaria El Ouahdi (Genk/Belgium), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids/Egypt), Adam Aznou (Bayern Munich/Germany)

— Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina/Italy), Amir Richardson (Fiorentina/Italy), Bilal El Khannous (Genk/Belgium), Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid/Spain), Oussama Targhaline (Le Havre/France), Azzeddine Ounahi (Olympique Marseille/France)

— Forwards : Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray/Turkey), Ilias Akhoumach (Villarreal CF/Spain), Amine Adli (Leverkusen/Germany), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain/United Arab Emirates), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos/Greece), Youssef En-nesyri (Fenerbahçe/Turkey), Iliesse Ben Seghir (AS Monaco/France), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis/Spain).

The final phases of the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025), to be held in Morocco, will take place from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announces on Friday.

The opening match of “Africa’s most popular and competitive football competition”, the Africa Cup of Nations, to be held in Morocco, will take place on Sunday December 21, 2025, while the final game will be held on Sunday January 18, 2026, CAF states on its website.

The draw for the qualifiers for this 35th edition will take place on July 4 in Johannesburg, South Africa. A total of 48 nations will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each.

The CAF Executive Committee also announced the dates for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2024 that will also be hosted in Morocco.

The competition, which is “growing exponentially”, will be held from July 5 to 26, 2025.

It was also decided to hold the 46th Ordinary General Assembly of CAF in Kinshasa on October 10, according to the same source.

hairman of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, received, on Sunday, the flag of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from president of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, in anticipation of the 35th edition to be held in Morocco in 2025.
The Africa Cup of Nations flag was presented to Lekjaa at the end of the AFCON Côte d’Ivoire-2023 final, held at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpé, north of Abidjan, in the presence of president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, and FIFA head, Gianni Infantino.

At a press conference on Friday, CAF president said that the AFCON to be held in Morocco in 2025 will be “excellent” and will undoubtedly be a “huge success”.

The AFCON-2023 was won by the host country, Côte d’Ivoire, after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final.

This is the third trophy for the Elephants after their 1992 and 2015 triumphs.