Sinan RAJUB SENOGA
Morocco national team coach Vahid Halilhodzic has announced his final 25-man squad for the AFCON tournament without their star man Hakim Ziyech.
Ziyech fell out with Halilhodzic during the recently concluded FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and has not played for the Atlas Lions since July.
The Chelsea forward was expected to be a boost in Morocco’s offensive department having scored 17 times in 40 caps.
Ajax’s Nossouri Mazraoui alongside Al Ahly defender Badr Banoun and UAE based Sofiane Rahimi are some of the other notable exclusions.
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Sevilla’s duo of Youssef En-Nesyri and Munir El Haddadi together with skipper Romain Saiss and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi will take up the mantle to lead the team.
Barcelona’s youngster Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi have also been included.
Morocco will face Ghana, Gabon and Comoros in Group C in the tournament that kicks off on January 9th.
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The Atlas Lions will be in search of the second AFCON title having won the 1976 edition. Their best finish since then was losing the 2004 final to Tunisia.
Morocco squad for Afcon 2021
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla, Spain), Monir El Kajoui, (Hatayspor, Turkey), Anas Zniti (Raja Casablanca, Morocco).
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Sofiane Alakouch (Metz, France), Soufian El Karouani (NEC Nijmegen, Netherlands), Adam Masina (Watford, England), Sofian Chakla (OH Leuven, Belgium), Samy Mmaee (Ferencvaros, Hungary), Romain Saiss (Wolves, England), Nayef Aguerd (Rennes, France).
Midfielders: Aymen Barkok (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina, Italy), Faycal Fajr (Sivaspor, Turkey), Azzedine Ounahi (Angers, France), Ilias Chair (QPR, England), Imran Louza (Watford, England), Selim Amallah (Standard Liege, Belgium).
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Forwards: Munir El Haddadi (Sevilla, Spain), Zakaria Aboukhlal (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Barcelona, Spain), Sofiane Boufal (Angers, France), Ryan Mmaee (Ferencvaros, Hungary), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla, Spain), Ayoub El Kaabi (Hatayspor, Turkey).
