Morocco will be looking to maintain their perfect start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign when they welcome Niger to the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca on Friday.

The Atlas Lions have collected six points from their opening two Group A matches and sit top of the table after beating Gabon and Lesotho, while the visitors are third with three points, having won one and lost one of their opening two qualifiers.

Match preview

Morocco have made an impressive start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, winning both of their opening Group A matches against Gabon and Lesotho by identical 2-0 scorelines.

The Atlas Lions have scored four goals without conceding in the qualifiers, underlining their defensive organisation, while they have now kept clean sheets in three of their last four competitive matches.

Mohamed Ouahbi's side have since returned to action, playing out a 1-1 friendly draw with Mali in October, with Abdessamad Ezzalzouli scoring from the penalty spot in the first half before Gaoussou Diarra restored parity for the opposition.

The hosts will be looking to maintain their defensive solidity in competitive matches, and their previous meetings with Niger offer plenty of encouragement, having won all six encounters between the sides while conceding just once.

Morocco have also been particularly solid defensively in recent AFCON qualifying campaigns, conceding just twice in six matches during the previous edition of the competition and keeping four clean sheets, while they have now recorded six shutouts in their last eight matches in the tournament's qualifiers.

Niger, meanwhile, have struggled to build on their encouraging start to the qualifying campaign, opening with a 2-1 victory over Lesotho before suffering a 2-0 defeat against Gabon.

The Menas followed that loss with another 2-0 defeat, this time against Algeria in a friendly last month, leaving them with three losses from their last four matches across all competitions.

Their victory over Lesotho remains their only triumph in their last nine matches, a run that has also produced five defeats and three draws.

Niger's away record makes this an even more difficult assignment, with the Menas losing two of their last four competitive matches on the road, including a 5-0 defeat against Morocco in a previous World Cup qualifier.

Morocco Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:

Morocco form (all competitions):

Niger Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:

Niger form (all competitions):

Team News

Morocco have several important absentees, with Ismael Saibari, Azzedine Ounahi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Soufiane Rahimi, Chadi Riad and Hamza Igamane all missing from the squad because of injury concerns.

Sofyan Amrabat, Amine Harit and Amine Adli are also absent from the selection, while Youssef En-Nesyri has returned to the national team and Ayoub Oufkir has received his first senior call-up.

Neil El Aynaoui has also withdrawn after suffering an ankle problem during the international gathering, with Samir El Mourabet called up as his replacement.

Niger have named a largely locally based squad for the double-header, with experienced players such as Oumar Sako, Ali Mohamed, Daniel Sosah and Tidjani Amadou Moutari included.

Nabil Neghiz has also made several notable omissions from his selection, including Hainikoye Abiboulaye and Amadou Wonkoye.

Morocco possible starting lineup:

Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Diop, Mazraoui; Belahyane, Targhalline, El Khannouss; Diaz, En-Nesyri, Ezzalzouli

Niger possible starting lineup:

Kassali; Sako, Abdouramane, Camara, Alhassane; Ali Mohamed, Oumarou, Sabo; Moutari, Sosah, Kairou Amoustapha

We say: Morocco 3-0 Niger

The visitors will likely attempt to defend deep and frustrate their opponents, but maintaining that approach for the full 90 minutes against Morocco's attacking options will be difficult.

The Atlas Lions have enough quality and depth to overcome a defensive setup and should create more than enough opportunities to secure a comfortable victory.

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