Morocco have published their squad to face Ivory Coast in the final game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying slated for Abidjan on November 11. Leaders of Group C with nine points, the Atlas Lions need just a draw to book their place in Russia while the Elephants (eight points) must win to qualify.
Southampton midfielder Sofiane Boufal returns to Morocco team after missing their two previous matches. Oussama Tannane and Youssef Ait Bennasser were ignored due to injury while Hamza Mendyl, Sofyan Amrabat and Achraf Bencharki figure on the list.
Amiens SC defender Oualid El Hajjam was handed his first call-up to the outfit led by 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winning coach Frenchman Herve Renard. Moroccan officials have revealed they would fly up to 8,000 supporters to Abidjan to help push the team to victory.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Mounir El Kajoui (Numancia, Spain), Yassine Bounou (Girona, Spain), Ahmad Reda Tagnaouti (IRT, Morocco)
Defenders : Mehdi Benatia (Juventus, Italy), Ghanem Saiss (Wolverhampton, England), Jawad El Yamiq (RCA, Morocco), Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid, Spain), Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Oualid El Hajjam (Amiens, France), Hamza Mendyl (LOSC, France), Fouad Chafik (Dijon, France), Badr Banoun (RCA, Morocco)
Midfielders : Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord, Netherlands), Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray, Turkey), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax, Netherlands), Fayçal Fajr (Getafe, Spain), Soufiane Boufal (Southampton, England), Noureddine Amrabat (Leganes, Spain), M’barek Boussoufa Al Jazira (UAE), Amine Harit (Schalke, Germany), Ismail El Haddad (WAC, Morocco), Sofyan Amrabat (Feyenoord, Netherlands)
Forwards: Mimoun Mahi (Groningen, Netherlands), Rachid Allioui (Nîmes, France), Khalid Boutaib (Malatyaspor, Turkey), Achraf Bencharki (WAC, Morocco)
