Morocco Names First Squad Under Ouahbi, El Karouani Returns

Ouahbi's first move, Morocco unveils 28-man squad

Morocco names first squad under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi, includes FC Utrecht's Souffian El Karouani. El Karouani returns to Morocco squad after AFCON snub under new coach Ouahbi.

Youssef En-Nesyri omitted as Morocco unveils squad ahead of World Cup...

Morocco's new coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, has announced his first 28-man squad after being awarded the AFCON title. FC Utrecht's Souffian El Karouani is back in the squad, boasting 10 assists in the Eredivisie this season. He last played for Morocco in October 2025, helping them beat Congo 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier.

El Karouani's return is notable, especially since he missed the Africa Cup of Nations squad. The left-back has been in great form, tied for second in assists in the Eredivisie. Meanwhile, Youssef En-Nesyri, the Al-Ittihad and former Fenerbahçe striker, didn't make the cut, having failed to score in his first seven games for the Saudi giants.

Al-Ittihad and ex-Fenerbahçe striker Youssef En-Nesyri didn't make the Morocco squad, having gone goal-scoring dry in his first seven games for the Saudi club.

The defender's inclusion comes after a shake-up in management, with Walid Regragui stepping down on March 5 due to exhaustion. Mohamed Ouahbi, former Morocco U20 coach, took the reins a day later, just 3 months before the World Cup kicks off.

لائحة منتخبنا الوطني المستدعاة للمباراتين الوديتين أمام منتخبي الإكوادور والباراغواي

Here’s our National Team squad list for the upcoming friendlies:
📆 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐯𝐬 𝐄𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 🇪🇨
📆 𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟑𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐯𝐬… pic.twitter.com/0botOacUIa

— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) March 19, 2026

Morocco will face Ecuador at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on March 27th and Paraguay at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, France, on March 31st, wrapping up their pre-World Cup friendlies.

Morocco was retrospectively awarded the AFCON title after the CAF ruled Senegal had lost by forfeit, marking a historic moment for the team as they head into the World Cup window.

“The Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided, in accordance with Article 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Regulations, to declare the Senegal national team as forfeiting the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 ('the Match'), with the result officially recorded as 3-0 in favor of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF),” the CAF's statement reads.