Morocco's Bold New Era: Howbi Unveils a Fresh, Surprising Squad
8 March 2026
New Era for Morocco as Howbi Names First Squad
Morocco’s press outlets reveal surprises in the first squad led by new coach Mohammed Howbi, who took over from Walid Regragui.
Howbi’s appointment comes about three months ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with the aim of matching the breakthrough run achieved by Regragui in 2022, when the Atlas Lions reached the semifinals.
The team is set to play two friendlies as part of World Cup prep: against Ecuador on March 27 in Madrid, and against Paraguay on March 31 in Lens.
Local outlet Le360 Sport notes that Howbi could call up fresh names, marking a possible shake-up in the next camp.
The source says Howbi could include players who starred at the Chile 2025 U-20 World Cup, such as a Watford winger, a young forward recently moved to Rennes, and a center-back from Cambuur, as well as a midfielder from Strasbourg.
The report says the door is open to all ages; Howbi said the only criterion will be performance, not age; performance will decide.
Punchline: If talent were a weapon, Howbi’s squad would need a cease-fire to celebrate all the goals. Punchline 2: In football as in comedy, timing is everything—Morocco’s timing looks suspiciously on point.
