Morocco World Cup 2022 squad: Who was left out of Morocco's World Cup squad?

Morocco World Cup 2022 squad: Who was left out of Morocco's World Cup squad?

Samuel Lisubila
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:17 PM

Coming from Africa, the Atlas Lions, as commonly referred to, represent their country and the continent at large. All eyes are on them as they are among fans' favourites to put Africa on the map amongst other greats. With the talent available and the hard work instilled by themselves, there is no doubt about their performance. Here is the Morocco World Cup 2022 squad.

Morocco World Cup 2022 squad
Morocco team pose for a team photo at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on 18 January 2022 in Yaounde, Cameroon. Photo: MB Media
Source: Getty Images

Morocco is among the five African teams honoured to play in the world's most prestigious soccer competition. After an incredible run in the CAF World Cup qualifiers after a 5 - 2 defeat over Congo, Morocco will be making its sixth appearance in the tournament and leaves nothing to chance. Before much, let us look into the team's profile

Profile Summary

Full name

Morocco national football team

Nickname

The Atlas Lions

Association

Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF)

Confederation

Confederation of African Football (CAF)

Head coach

Walid Regragui

Captain

Romain Saïss

Most caps

Noureddine Naybet (115)

Top scorer

Ahmed Faras

FIFA code

MAR

FIFA ranking

22 as of 6 October 2022

World Cup appearances

6 (first in 1970)

Best World Cup performance

Round of 16 (1986)

Morocco's World Cup 2022 squad

Morocco starting 11
Sofiane Boufal of Morocco celebrates scoring their first goal during Ghana against Morocco, Africa Cup of Nations at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium. Photo: Thor Wegner
Source: Getty Images

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On Thursday, 10 November 2022, Walid Regragui, the team's manager, announced the 26-man roster representing the country in Qatar. Fans received this well, especially after the striker Abderrazak Hamdallah was among the players, as he is Morocco's hope for the competition. Here is the complete squad:

Goalkeepers

Yassine Bounou

Sevilla

Munir Mohamedi

Al Wehda

Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti

Wydad AC

Defenders

Achraf Hakimi

PSG

Noussair Mazraoui

Bayern Munich

Jawad El Yamiq

Valladolid

Romain Saiss

Besiktas

Achraf Dari

Stade Brest

Yahia Attiyat Allal

Wydad AC

Badr Benoun

Qatar SC

Nayef Aguerd

West Ham

Midfielders

Sofyan Amrabat

Fiorentina

Azzedine Ounahi

Angers

Abdelhamid Sabiri

Sampdoria

Selim Amallah

Standard Liege

Yahya Jabrane

Wydad AC

Bilal El Khannous

Genk

Forwards

Hakim Ziyech

Chelsea

Zakaria Aboukhlal

Toulouse

Younes Belhanda

Galatasaray

Youssef En-Nesyri

Sevilla

Ez Abde

Osasuna

Anass Zaroury

Burnley

Ilias Chair

QPR

Abderrazak Hamdallah

AL-Ittihad

Walid Cheddira

Bari

Morocco's World Cup team announcement

Morocco World Cup 2022 jersey
Walid Regragui, head coach of Morocco, gestures during an international friendly game against Paraguay at Benito Villamarin Stadium on 27 September 2022 in Sevilla, Spain. Photo: Joaquin Corchero
Source: Getty Images

Morocco's 26-man squad was announced on 10 November 2022 by coach Walid Wegragui, ten days before the tournament kicked off. Fans were ecstatic after the announcement, as their best players were among the roster heading into Qatar. The list is composed of a mixture of decent veterans and young talents whose combination would be a menace to the opposition.

Morocco's starting 11

Walid will most likely set his boys for a 4-3-3 formation. Sevilla's Yassine Bounou will begin at the post, shielded by a back-four comprised of Hakimi at the right back, Saiss and Dari at the central defence, while Mazraoui covers the left.

A strong 3-man army will hold the midfield. They will be led by El-Nesyri at the central midfield as Ziyech and Boufal set at the right and left flanks, respectively. In the attacking department, the three lethal strikers will be Sofyan Amrabat, Younes Belhanda and Ilias Chair.

Morocco national team's stars

Morocco's national football team has some of the most talented players in the tournament. They have local and international stars who, if they do their jobs right, could be the bigwigs in Qatar.

Some of their stars include Abderrazak Hamdallah, who has been absent from the team since 2019. He apologised to the team, stating that it was a 'dark moment' in his career and has suffered serious consequences due to his mistake. He assured the country to do his best if he would be called up, but if not, he would be Atlas Lion's biggest supporter.

Hakimi and Ziyech are key players who give hope to the North African team and would not afford to miss any game. These are players to watch out for, and with proper planning and implementation, Morocco will no longer be an underdog in Qatar.

Who's out?

However, their lethal forward, Amine Harit, was not listed on the squad. This is after he, unfortunately, suffered a knee injury in his last club game before heading out to Doha. Their midfielder, Imran Louza, is also out after he sustained a nasty ankle injury in October. He is expected to be back in action in 2023. Others who failed to make it to the squad include Ez Abde and Tarik Tissoudali, who both suffered injuries before the tournament.

Morocco's World Cup 2022 jersey

Morocco World Cup 2022 squad list
Achraf Hakimi of Morocco during Ghana against Morocco, Africa Cup of Nations at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium. Photo: Thor Wegner
Source: Getty Images

The brand-new Morocco jersey still rocks the country's traditional red and green colour. Designed by Puma, its brand logo is in the chest area as a remembrance of the Moroccan national team's historical glory and bright future with a classic retro look. The away jersey features a white base with a light-grey central stripe holding the green Puma logo and Morocco's badge underneath.

Who will be the captain of Morocco in 2022?

Roman Saiss is the undoubted Atlas Lion's captain. He is a great player whose knowledge of the pitch is worth giving him the role of his troop leader. He left the Premier League club, Wolves, in the 2022 Summer transfer to join Bestikas, where he plays against his teammate and all-time highest goalscorer Ayoub Al Kaabi, who plays for Super Lig rival Hatayspor.

Is Gyan going to the 2022 World Cup?

The former Black Star skipper has expressed his willingness and readiness to play for the team again in the FIFA World Cup in 2022. However, in an interview later, he admitted that he was not physically fit to make a bold claim to represent the country in the tournament. Nonetheless, he added that due to his experience and pedigree, he would not turn down an offer to help his country if technical handlers invited him.

Where has Morocco been placed in the 2022 World Cup?

Returning to the tournament after 20 years, Morocco is set to have a hard time in the World Cup. What makes it harder is the tough, competitive group they have been placed with against teams with all the necessary tools to lead the group and win the tournament. They will be going against Canada, Belgium and Croatia in Group F.

Morocco World Cup team announcement
Morocco national football team players take part in a training session at Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 14, 2018. Photo: Igor Russak
Source: Getty Images

The Atlas Lions are among the five teams representing Africa in Qatar. While they go against prominently dominant teams in Group F, they also have a chance with enough talent and experience among their teammates. Click here to find out more about the team.

READ ALSO: Morroco's national football team: squad, coach, rankings, AFCON

Sportsbrief.com has recently published an article about Morroco's national football team. The Atlas Lions debuted in the soccer scene in 1928 when they played a friendly match against France. The team has since participated in various tournaments and main competitions, winning several Medals and Cups. Read more right here!

Authors
Samuel Lisubila photo
Samuel Lisubila