Walid Regragui Set to Strengthen the Atlas Lions with Two New Talents
As part of Morocco’s preparations for the 7th and 8th rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, sources close to the technical staff have revealed that head coach Walid Regragui is considering calling up two new players: Sofian Kiyine, defender for FC Utrecht (Netherlands), and notably Neil Aynaoui, midfielder for AS Roma (Italy), ahead of the upcoming training camp scheduled for September.
The purpose of this potential call-up is to address difficulties faced at the left-back position. Sofian Kiyine could make his first appearance with the senior national team, competing for a spot alongside Youssef Belamri and Noussair Mazraoui.
According to the same sources, this trio is expected to face stiff competition during the training camp before the coaching staff finalizes the list of players who will make up the national squad for the final phase of the Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host between December 2025 and January 2026.
It is worth recalling that the CAN draw placed Morocco in Group A alongside Zambia, Mali, and Comoros. A group considered balanced, but one that will require high levels of discipline and focus to reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv
