Morocco begin preparations for Mali friendly in Tangier

Yesterday 19:40

The Morocco national team is turning its attention to a friendly against Mali after completing a successful stretch of Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying fixtures.

The Lions of the Atlas are scheduled to face Mali on Sunday at the Grand Stade de Tanger, with the encounter providing another opportunity for the national side to maintain its competitive rhythm during the international break.

Training resumes after South Africa trip

Morocco’s players were given Wednesday off following their return from South Africa. The squad had spent nearly 12 hours in transit, prompting the coaching staff to allow the players time to recover before beginning preparations for the upcoming fixture.

Training is set to resume Thursday at the Complexe Mohammed VI de football in Maâmora. The sessions will focus on recovery, tactical work and preparations for a Mali side that will provide a different test from the teams Morocco faced earlier in the break.

Final preparations move to Tangier

The Moroccan delegation is expected to travel to Tangier on Friday, where preparations will continue ahead of Sunday’s match at the Ibn Batouta Stadium.

The fixture comes at a useful point in Morocco’s international calendar, allowing the coaching staff to assess the squad in a competitive setting while managing player workloads after two qualifying matches.

The meeting with Mali will also give the national team an opportunity to build further cohesion as it looks ahead to the challenges of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Two qualifying wins set the tone

Morocco entered the current international window with two AFCON 2027 qualifiers on its schedule. The team secured victories against Gabon and Lesotho, strengthening its position in the early stages of the qualifying campaign.

With those matches now completed, attention has shifted to the friendly against Mali. The Tangier encounter will close the current international sequence and offer the Lions of the Atlas another competitive test on home soil.