Morocco v Gabon: Qualifiers Cannes 2027 Friday in Rabat

On Friday evening, September 25, 2026, the Moroccan team will play its first match in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, against Gabon, on the floor of the sports boat Prince Moulay Abdullah in Rabat, starting at 8 pm Morocco time, in the opening of its first group, which also includes Niger and Lesotho. Three new players on Wahbi's list Coach Mohamed Wahbi has called up 29 players for this merit, including three first-time invitees to the “Lions of the Atlas” ranks: goalkeeper Abdullah Wazzan, and midfielder Sufian Al-Fawzi, and the striker Yasser Al-Zubairi. The technical staff is betting on Elias Akhomash to compensate for Ibrahim Diaz's absence due to injury, at a time when the Moroccan team ranks sixth in the world according to the latest FIFA ranking. Aubameyang's absence from the ranks of Gabon In return, Gabon will play the game without its striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while Mario Lemina and Jim Alvena were also absent for two injuries in the adductor muscle, so the visiting squad depends mainly on the experience of Denis Bwanga and Gilor Kanga, along with two players Two substitutes were called to make up for the absences. The qualifying format and the group The confrontation is part of the first round of the Can 2027 qualification, in which 48 teams participate, divided into 12 groups, with the "lions of the Atlas" later meeting both Niger and Lesotho in the first group. The organizing committee entrusted the management of the meeting to the South African referee Abongili Tom, while the game is televised on beIN Sports. Why this match matters The showdown marks Wahhabi's first official test atop the 'Lions of the Atlas' in the course of Qualification to 2027, and confirms the special weight that the Moroccan team enjoys continental, as it has a clear historical advantage against Gabon by 12 victories against 6 defeats and 3 draws in 21 official and friendly matches between the two teams, including a wide victory with six clean goals in 2006. The Moroccan public is expecting a strong start that will open the way for an early qualification to the next finals. Morocco is betting on the investment of the land worker and the public to resolve the three points in the first test out of six meetings that separate the team from reaching the The finals, in a group considered by many observers to be accessible to the "lions of the Atlas", despite the difficulty of facing Gabon as the first station.