Morocco's national team, the Atlas Lions, arrived in Tangier on Friday evening to complete preparations for Sunday's international friendly against Mali at the Grand Stade de Tanger. The team travelled from Rabat aboard the Al Boraq high-speed train after holding their final training session at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maamoura earlier in the day. This marked the final stage of their preparations, following two straight victories to open their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) reported that Friday morning's training session began at 10:30 a.m. and focused on continuing the technical staff's planned work ahead of the Mali encounter. The squad left for Tangier immediately after the session. Upon arrival, the players and coaching staff headed to their hotel for the final phase of preparations for the October 4 fixture. The team is scheduled to train at the Grand Stade de Tanger on Saturday from 5 p.m., with the opening 15 minutes accessible to the media.
Morocco's coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, will be without Noussair Mazraoui, who left the camp on Friday to return to Manchester United after sustaining an injury against Lesotho. The Atlas Lions enter the friendly after making a perfect start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, defeating Gabon 2-0 in Rabat and recording another 2-0 victory away to Lesotho in Bloemfontein.
Mali, meanwhile, arrived in Tangier on Thursday, stepping in as Morocco's opponents after Ghana withdrew from the originally scheduled friendly. The Eagles will face Morocco on Sunday at 6 p.m. GMT, providing Ouahbi with another opportunity to assess his squad before the Atlas Lions return to competitive action later in the year.
The Atlas Lions' preparations have been led by the FRMF, with the team focusing on their technical work ahead of the Mali encounter. The team's performance in the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign has been impressive so far, with two consecutive victories. The friendly against Mali will serve as a crucial test for the team ahead of their return to competitive action.
The Grand Stade de Tanger will host the international friendly between Morocco and Mali on Sunday. The stadium is one of Morocco's premier football venues, and the match is expected to draw a large crowd. The Atlas Lions will look to build on their strong start to the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign and maintain their momentum.
The match against Mali will provide Morocco's coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, with valuable insights into his team's performance and readiness for future competitions. The friendly will also offer an opportunity for the team to fine-tune their strategy and make any necessary adjustments ahead of their return to competitive action.
Key points
- Morocco's national team, the Atlas Lions, have arrived in Tangier for final preparations ahead of an international friendly against Mali on Sunday.
- The team will train at the Grand Stade de Tanger on Saturday, with the opening 15 minutes accessible to the media.
- Morocco will be without Noussair Mazraoui, who left the camp on Friday to return to Manchester United after sustaining an injury.
