Morocco head coach Mohamed Wahbi has named a 26-man squad for the two fixtures against Niger on 13 and 17 November in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Prominent names return, but the real talking point is a surprise call-up for AZ Alkmaar winger Ayoub Oufkir.

Youssef En-Nesyri leads the list of returnees to the Atlas Lions. Wahbi has recalled the Al-Ittihad striker once again.

Oufkir: the biggest surprise

Ayoub Oufkir provides the shock of the squad. Born in the Netherlands and now at AZ Alkmaar, the 20-year-old earns his call-up on the back of eye-catching displays for his club.

Wahbi wants to ease the youngster into the senior setup gradually, alongside Abdallah Ouazane. It is all part of a plan to hand young talents a taste of international football and ready them for the challenges ahead, chief among them the Africa Cup of Nations.

Also returning are Benfica's Sofiane Kiyine, Lazio professional Reda Belahyane and Angers winger Amine Sbai, widening the options for the coaching staff with several key men unavailable.

Significant absences due to injuries

Injury rules out Ismael Saibari, Soufiane Rahimi, Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane El Fouzi. Marouane Saadane, Zakaria El Ouahdi, Samir El Mourabet and Taoufik Ben Tayeb also miss out, most likely for technical reasons.

For Wahbi, this camp serves two purposes. He wants to keep the qualification push on track while testing fresh options, trying new combinations and giving promising players the platform to prove themselves.

Morocco squad for the two Niger fixtures

- Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou, Munir Mohamedi, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti, Alaa Belaarouch.

- Defence: Noussair Mazraoui, Anass Salah-Eddine, Sofiane Kiyine, Nayef Aguerd, Redouane Halhal, Issa Diop, Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Achraf Hakimi, Ali El Maamari.

- Midfield: Ayoub Bouaddi, Nayel El Aynaoui, Oussama Targhalline, Bilal El Khannous, Reda Belahyane, Amine Sbai, Abdallah Ouazane.

- Attack: Brahim Diaz, Jassim Yassine, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Ayoub Oufkir, Yasser Zabiri, Youssef En-Nesyri.