Morocco’s Bilal El Khannouss Wins 2023 Belgian Lion Award

Morocco’s national football head coach Walid Regragui unveiled on Friday the 26-man squad selected for the next two matches against Niger and Tanzania respectively, on March 21 and 25 at the Stade d’Honneur in Oujda, as part of the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Morocco tops Group E of these qualifiers with 9 points. 

– The squad is as follows:

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

— Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris SG/France), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United/England), Nayef Aguerd (Real Sociedad/Spain), Abdelkabir Abqar (Deportivo Alaves/Spain), Jamal Harkass (Wydad Casablanca), Jawad El Yamiq (Al Wehda FC/Saudi Arabia), Omar El Hilali (Barcelona/Spain), Adam Aznou (Real Valladolid/Spain).

— Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat (Fenerbahçe/Turkey), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands), Bilal El Khannous (Leicester City/England), Oussama Targhalline (Feynoord Rotterdam/Netherlands), Azzeddine Ounahi (Panathinaikos/Greece), Bilal Nadir (Olympique Marseille/France).

— Forwards: Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid/Spain), Chemsdine Talbi (Club Bruges/Belgium), Hamza Igamane (Glasgow Rangers/Scotland), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain/UAE), Youssef En-nesyri (Fenerbahçe/Türkiye), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis/Spain), Eliesse Ben Seghir (AS Monaco/France), Osame Sahraoui (Lille/France), Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany).

“Brahim Díaz, the lethal weapon of Morocco and Real Madrid, is making a strong impression,” the Confederation of African Football (CAF) boasts.

Commenting on the Atlas Lion’s brilliant performance for Real Madrid against Atletico in the first leg of the last 16 of the European Champions League on Tuesday, CAF writes: “Already invaluable with Los Blancos this season, the Moroccan international struck again (…) against Los Colchoneros”.

“His decisive goal gave Los Merengue a 2-1 victory, confirming his growing role in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad,” the African football body writes on its official website.

The 25-year-old continues to showcase polished form ahead of the Club World Cup, where he could be a major asset for Real, the same source adds.

Furthermore, CAF looks back on Díaz’s remarkable feats with the Moroccan national team. “Right from his first appearances for the Atlas Lions, he enforced his technical touch and his flair for goals”, the post points out.

“With Real Madrid seeking another world title and Morocco’s ambitions on home soil, Brahim Díaz could be one of the major players in international soccer. The year 2025 could well be that of his ordination”, CAF concludes.

 Morocco will face Niger on March 21 and Tanzania on March 25 at the Complexe d’Honneur in Oujda as part of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced on Thursday.

Both matches, part of Group E qualifying, are set to kick off at 9:30 p.m. (local time), the federation said in a press release.

The games mark Morocco’s fifth and sixth fixtures in the group stage as the Atlas Lions continue their bid for a place at the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Morocco’s U-20 football team has been drawn in Group B of the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), following Thursday’s draw in Cairo.

The North African side, crowned continental champions in 1997, will face Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa in the group stage of the tournament, which runs from April 26 to May 18 in Côte d’Ivoire.

Host nation Côte d’Ivoire will compete in Group A alongside DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, and a second team from the Central African Football Federations’ Union (UNIFFAC).

Defending champions Senegal headline Group C, where they will meet Zambia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone.

The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals, with the tournament following a knockout format from that stage onward.

The four semi-finalists will secure qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled for Sept. 27 to Oct. 19, 2025.

Morocco finishes the year 2024 ranked 14th in the world in the FIFA rankings, published on Thursday, unchanged from November.

The Atlas Lions remain the top team in Africa with 1,688.18 points, ahead of Senegal, which holds 17th place globally with 1,637.25 points.

The national football team also retains its position as the top team in the Arab world. Egypt is in second place (33rd globally) with 1,513.48 points.

Globally, there are few changes to report in the final World Rankings of the year. Argentina remains in first place, followed by France and Spain.

Angola, which played the most matches in 2024 (21), can boast of achieving the best progress of the year, climbing 32 places to 85th compared to 2023.

Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Sofyan Amrabet feature in the men’s Africa Best XI of the year 2024 unveiled at the CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakech on Monday.

André Onana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Chancel Mbemba, Yves Bissouma, Franck Kessié, Mohammed Kudus, Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman complete the African Team of the Year.

Atlas Lioness Ghizlane Chebbak is in the Women’s XI of the Year, which also includes Andile Dlamini, Michelle Alozie, Karabo Dhlamini, Osinachi Ohale, Lebohang Ramalepe, Linda Motlhalo, Rasheedat Ajibade, Barbara Banda, Asisat Oshoala and Tabitha Chawinga.