Arab Cup Gambit: Morocco Eyes a Fresh Glory Before Africa’s Showpiece
6 October 2025
Morocco eyes Arab Cup ahead of AFCON on home soil
Fawzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Football Federation, together with Tarik Skitiwy, appointed as coach of the reserve national team, aims to reclaim the Arab Cup from Qatar, the Atlas Lions' next objective after their recent Africa Cup of Nations for locals.
The Moroccan national team recovered the Africa Cup of Nations for locals, beating Madagascar 3-2 in the final at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya, last August, securing their third title in the history of the competition.
The federation has placed all resources at Skitiwy's disposal, enabling him to chase success as he led Morocco to bronze at Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Skitiwy enjoys freedom to call up any player and to benefit from training camps and strong friendlies, starting with a clash against Egypt's second national team in Morocco, before heading to the UAE for Kuwait.
The federation aims to win the Arab Cup, hoping to provide a huge morale boost for the Atlas Lions before the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil and in front of their fans.
The ongoing coordination between Tarik Skitiwy and Walid Regraki, the overall supervisor of Moroccan teams, alongside his duties as head coach of the first team, continues to push for a strong Arab Cup squad.
An Exceptional Squad
The Moroccan reserve-team list chosen by Skitiwy to compete in the Arab Cup in Qatar from December 1 to 18 has drawn wide attention due to the invited names.
The Arab Cup draw placed Morocco in a group with Saudi Arabia and Oman or Somalia and Yemen or Comoros.
The list includes Abdul Razak Hamdallah, striker for Al Shabab; Walid Karti of Pyramids; Ashraf Ben Cherki of Al Ahly; and Mahmoud Bentayk, left back of Zamalek.
Skitiwy relies on some names who deserve a chance to prove their worth to the first team under Walid Regraki.
Hamdallah vs Renard
Choosing Hamdallah at the top of the list reflects his impressive numbers in the Saudi league, most recently with Al Shabab.
It's a smart move by Skitiwy, who knows the striker's desire to prove himself and show he deserves greater recognition after limited appearances for the national team.
Hamdallah already knows the Qatar atmosphere, having previously played there for Al Jaish and Al Rayyan.
The Moroccan team will also face Saudi Arabia in the group stage of the Arab Cup, coached by Frenchman Hervé Renard.
Renard's time coaching the Atlas Lions included a fallout with Hamdallah, which led to the striker's long absence from the national team.
Karti Reward
Among those returning after nearly three years, Walid Karti of Pyramids will be included.
The Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic was the last to call up Karti to the Atlas Lions, before he was sidelined by Walid Regraki.
Karti's recall is seen as a reward for his stellar form with Pyramids, including helping the team win the African Champions League against Sundowns, and winning the Pacific Cup against Al Ittihad.
Karti is a key midfielder given his experience with Wydad and the Moroccan national team.
Renowned for loyalty to the AFCON-winning group of locals, Skitiwy called up 12 players from that squad, led by captain Rabii Harimat of the Royal Army Club, who was named best player of the continental tournament, alongside six teammates from the same club.
Saber Bogrein from Raja Casablanca, a pillar of the locals, and Osama Al Maloui of Renaissance Berkane also featured.
The Arab Cup preliminaries run from November 22 to 26, with seven matches, such as Oman vs Somalia, Bahrain vs Djibouti, Lebanon vs Sudan, Syria vs South Sudan, Palestine vs Libya, Yemen vs Comoros, and Kuwait vs Mauritania.
The winning teams advance to the main groups of Arab Cup 2025, with 16 teams split into four groups; the first and second of each group progress to the quarterfinals (single-elimination).
The opening match of Arab Cup 2025 is scheduled for December 1 between Qatar and the winner of Palestine and Libya, at Lusail Stadium.
Punchline: If this plan actually brings trophies, Morocco will have so many celebrations that even the coffee breaks will demand a halftime show. Punchline 2: The ball may be the only thing that travels faster than the rumor mill—watch it bounce from a desert to a stadium and back faster than a press conference eats a snack.
