Moroccan head coach, Walid Regragui, has explained the reason why he did not include AS FAR players except goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid in his final 27-man squad for the 2023 AFCON.
AS FAR are the champions of Morocco and fans expected to see at least three players in Regragui’s final squad.
Speaking after the announcement of the squad, the coach said, “The FAR Team did not qualify for the group stage in the Champions League, and it’s difficult to judge a player who competes every two weeks in Botola Pro. I wanted to see their players against Tunisian and Egyptian teams, which earned Jabrane his previous standing with the national team”.
On his decision to include Ayoub El Kaabi in the final 27-man squad, the gaffer said,
“Ayoub El Kaabi played in Qatar and, upon moving to Olympiacos, excelled in the Greek league and the Europa League. He’s now a key player for us”.
“I don’t pay attention to radio and Instagram pressures, and some lie about the players. The level is very high in the national team,” the coach added.
Expectations of the Atlas Lions are massive because of the performance they put up in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Morocco will play against Tanzania, DR Congo and Zambia in Group F of the 2023 AFCON.
