Regragui: 26-Player Squad Chosen for Balance; Ighmane to Continue Treatment Tomorrow

Walid Regragui, head coach of the Moroccan national team, confirmed that he relied on the experience of players from previous World Cup and recent Africa Cup of Nations tournaments when selecting the "Atlas Lions" squad for AFCON 2025.

Regragui stated in comments to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation's official website: "In the previous World Cup, we had 26 players, and in the Africa Cup of Nations, we went with 27 players, with some sitting on the bench. The idea is to have a group of 26 players, so everyone can be present and contend for any position. As you can see, there are two players on the reserve list, Hamza Ighmane and Youssef Belammari, but they will, of course, be ready, we hope."

Regragui continued: "Regarding Hamza, it's an injury, and his recovery time could change, so we took this risk and perhaps didn't include him directly in the squad. He will arrive tomorrow for treatment, and we hope he can help us during the competition. This is my personal choice to take this risk because we know Ighmane is a talented player, and as happened with Achraf Hakimi before the Africa Cup of Nations, if we can rely on him for even one match or a few minutes, we will take this risk, and I take responsibility." The national coach added: "Hamza is an important person who has experienced the national team's development. Youssef Belammari will stay with his club for training, and if we need him during the competition, he will be eligible to join and help us. The players are aware of how things work, but we wanted a limited squad because having more than 26 players makes it difficult for team balance. For me as a coach, 26 players is a sufficient number."

He further explained: "The public might expect to see the names of some players who won the U20 World Cup; some certainly deserve it, but these are my choices. We must not forget that we have many young players within the current squad, such as Ben Seghir, Talbi, and also Bilal. There are also players who participated in the Olympics and won the U23 Africa Cup of Nations who are with us. The team is young, yet balanced, and there are experienced players to oversee them."

He continued: "I believe about 50% of the team is under 30 years old, and this is in preparation for the 2030 World Cup. We are preparing for the future but also focusing on the present. The idea was to achieve balance, because to win this tournament, there must be balance. The youth are present for those who think they are not, and they are well-represented."

Regragui concluded: "I would like to address a word to the fans who will be present in large numbers to support the Moroccan national team, both inside and outside the stadium. As I have always said, we have the best fans in the world, and we have seen that in all competitions, whether with youth teams or the senior national team. They always support us. We know they are with us, and as I said, we will win together. It won't just be the coach or the players, but all of us. It's a nation standing behind us, and we will do our utmost to make them proud and achieve victory together. This is the goal."