Morocco is set to face Mali in an international friendly at the Grand Stade de Tanger on October 4, 2026. The Atlas Lions enter the match with a perfect start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, having beaten Gabon 2-0 in Rabat and Lesotho 2-0 in Bloemfontein. This friendly match will conclude Morocco's September-October international window.
Mali, led by coach Mohamed Ouahbi, have also won both of their opening AFCON qualifiers. The Eagles defeated Cape Verde 3-1 before winning 1-0 away to Liberia, giving both teams strong form heading into the meeting. The friendly was originally scheduled to be Morocco against Ghana, but the Ghana Football Association withdrew for "internal reasons." Mali subsequently replaced the Black Stars.
The countries last met during the 2025 AFCON group stage in Rabat, drawing 1-1 on December 26. The match details are as follows: fixture - Morocco vs Mali, competition - International Friendly, venue - Grand Stade de Tanger, Tangier, date - Sunday, October 4, kick-off - 6:00 p.m. GMT. In Morocco, the match will be broadcast on Arryadia and Al Aoula, with beIN Sports 6 also carrying the match.
Morocco's team news reveals that Noussair Mazraoui will miss the game due to an injury sustained during Morocco's victory against Lesotho. Nayef Aguerd has been following a carefully managed return-to-competition program and his involvement against Mali will depend on the technical and medical staff's assessment. Several injured players, including Chadi Riad, Youssef En-Nesyri, Ayoub El Kaabi, Hamza Igamane, and Youssef Belammari, are already ruled out.
Key players for Morocco include Achraf Hakimi, who could return to the starting lineup after beginning the Lesotho match on the bench. Brahim Diaz enters the game after scoring against Lesotho, while Ounahi also found the net in Bloemfontein. Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui, Bilal El Khannouss, and Ismael Saibari give Ouahbi several midfield options, while Abde Ezzalzouli and Rahimi provide alternatives in attack.
Mali's team news indicates that forward Almamy Gory left Mali's camp due to injury and returned to his club for treatment. Captain Yves Bissouma was not selected for this international window, while Mohamed Camara, Mahamadou Doumbia, and Gaoussou Diakité had withdrawn through injury before the start of the camp. The likely starting lineups for both teams have been predicted based on recent performances and injuries.
The match offers Morocco's coach, Ouahbi, a chance to balance experimentation with continuity. He used substantially different teams against Gabon and Lesotho and has repeatedly said he wants to give deserving players opportunities while continuing to build toward future competitions. A full Tangier crowd should also provide a very different atmosphere from Morocco's qualifier against Lesotho in South Africa.
Key points
- Morocco and Mali have both started their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with two victories.
- The friendly match will be played at the Grand Stade de Tanger on October 4, 2026.
- Morocco's coach, Ouahbi, is expected to rotate his squad and give younger players opportunities to earn minutes.
