Ahead of Gabon-Lesotho, Ouahbi defends leaving out Botola Pro players
At a press conference in Rabat, coach Mohamed Ouahbi addressed the absence of Botola Pro players from Morocco's squad for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho, explaining that selection comes down to form and level, not which league a player plays in.
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi held a press conference at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to announce Morocco's Atlas Lions squad for the matches against Gabon (September 25) and Lesotho (September 29) in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, using part of his remarks to explain the absence of Botola Pro players from the list.
Why the domestic league's players are missing
"The delayed start of the new Botola Pro season made it difficult for us to follow local players' form closely enough to justify calling them up."
Ouahbi made clear this absence is not permanent, stressing that the door remains open to everyone.
"The competition is open to them, and they can be called up for future fixtures if they put in a strong effort with their clubs in the league."
"There's no policy... we pick the best"
Responding to those who believe the squad systematically favours players based outside Morocco, Ouahbi settled the debate directly:
"There's no policy of picking players from outside Morocco. We choose the best, and there's no room for favouritism in this squad."
The coach stressed that club form will remain the primary criterion for future selections, with the door open to any player who imposes himself through his level, regardless of which league he plays in.
Up next: Gabon and Lesotho
The remarks came as part of the announcement of the final squad ahead of the matches against Gabon on September 25 and Lesotho on September 29, as the Atlas Lions push for qualification to the AFCON 2027 finals.