Mohamed Ouahbi has unveiled a refreshed Morocco squad for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers, with highly rated Ajax youngster Abdellah Ouazane receiving his first senior call-up.

The 17-year-old Ouazane made his Eredivisie debut in Ajax’s opening match of the season against PEC Zwolle and has continued to make an impression under new head coach Michel Sanchez. He has scored once in 12 appearances, while also registering three assists, all of them coming during the UEFA Conference League qualifying campaign.

Ouazane is one of 10 new additions to the squad compared with Morocco’s 2026 FIFA World Cup selection. His Ajax teammate Sofyan Amrabat is among the notable absentees after previously stating that he would no longer represent the national team under Ouahbi.

Other notable omissions include Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad, who is currently injured, as well as Ayoub El Kaabi and Sunderland’s Chemsdine Taibi.

Feyenoord midfielder Oussama Targhalline, captain Nayef Aguerd and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli have all returned to the Atlas Lions squad. The latest additions also include Alaa Bellaarouch, Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Ali Maamar, Soufian El-Faouzi, Yassir Zabiri and Tawfik Bentayeb.

Morocco, who were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will begin their AFCON qualifying campaign against Gabon on September 25 before taking on Lesotho four days later. They will then face Ghana in an international friendly on October 4.

Full squad

Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal), Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (FAR Rabat), Alaa Bellaarouch (Dinamo Bucarest)

Defenders: Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United), Anass Salah-Eddine (Panathinaikos, on loan from Roma), Marwane Saâdane (Al Fateh), Nayef Aguerd (Marseille), Redouane Halhal (Venezia), Issa Diop (Ipswich Town), Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal (Rennes), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Zakaria El Ouahdi (HSV), Ali Maamar (Anderlecht)

Midfielders: Ayyoub Bouaddi (Manchester City), Samir El Mourabet (Strasbourg), Neil El Aynaoui (RB Leipzig), Oussama Targhalline (Feyenoord), Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart), Soufiane El-Faouzi (Schalke 04), Azzedine Ounahi (Panathinaikos), Ismael Saibari (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis), Abdellah Ouazane (Ajax), Brahim Díaz (Real Madrid), Yassine Gessime (Strasbourg), Yassir Zabiri (Racing Santander), Soufiane Rahimi (Al-Ain), Tawfik Bentayeb (Anderlecht)