SALE, Morocco: World Cup semifinalist Morocco will start their qualifying campaign for the 2026 tournament with a newly-recruited France Under-21 player named in the squad for the first time Thursday.
Sofiane Diop, a midfielder with French league leader Nice, was picked by coach Walid Regragui for the scheduled games at home to Eritrea next Thursday and in Tanzania on Nov. 21.
The 23-year-old Diop was born in France and has family ties to Morocco and Senegal. FIFA rules let players change their national eligibility before they have played a senior competitive game.
“He’s a player who could have chosen other countries also,” Regragui said at a news conference. “He’s deserved to be with us.”
Eritrea are reportedly withdrawing their team from the qualifying campaign, but Regragui said FIFA has not yet confirmed cancelation of the game with Morocco in Agadir.
At the 2022 World Cup, Regragui called on several players from the Moroccan diaspora in Europe to build a squad that stunningly became the first African country to reach the semifinals.
Morocco topped a group ahead of Croatia, the 2018 World Cup beaten finalist that also reached the semifinals last year, and eliminated No. 2-ranked Belgium.
Regragui then helped Morocco eliminate Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds before his injury-hit team lost 2-0 to France. Morocco have now united with Spain and Portugal and will co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Morocco start as strong favorite in Group E in African qualifying for the 2026 tournament being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Africa has nine guaranteed places in the expanded 48-team lineup.
Morocco also will play Niger, Republic of Congo and Zambia and only the group winner in October 2025 will qualify.
World Cup semifinalist Morocco recruit France U21 player Diop to start qualifying for 2026 edition
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World Cup semifinalist Morocco recruit France U21 player Diop to start qualifying for 2026 edition
- The 23-year-old Diop was born in France and has family ties to Morocco and Senegal
- “He’s a player who could have chosen other countries also,” Regragui said
Marmoush, Salah strike as Egypt edge out holders Ivory Coast in quarter-final
- Egypt wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute
- That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance
AGADIR, Morocco: Omar Marmoush netted the opener and Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal as Egypt ended Ivory Coast’s reign with a narrow 3-2 triumph in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.
Center back Rami Rabia was the other scorer for the Egyptians, who had little possession at the Grande Stade Agadir but took their chances with clinical precision and held on grimly to book a semifinal meeting with Senegal on Wednesday.
An own goal from Ahmed Fatouh and a late effort by Guela Doue proved insufficient for the Ivory Coast, winners of the tournament on home soil two years ago but now deposed as African champions.
Egypt, who have won a record seven Cup of Nations titles, wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute after Hamdi Fathy pinched the ball from Franck Kessie in the midfield, allowing Emam Ashour to thread a pinpoint ball to the sprinting Marmoush. He still needed to shrug off the attentions of defender Odilon Kossounou before slotting home.
But it quickly became clear the Ivorians were going to dominate possession, showing much more physical strength on the ball but without setting up clear chances.
Egypt went 2-0 up in the 32nd minute when Rabia rose above the defenders to head his side further ahead from a corner.
The Ivory Coast, who had 70 percent of possession in the first half, reduced the deficit eight minutes later when teenager Yann Diomande’s freekick near the corner took a slight brush off Kossounou’s head and ricocheted off the knee of full back Fatouh and into the net.
SALAH FINISHED OFF CLEVER MOVE
The Ivorians had come from 2-0 down to beat Gabon 3-2 earlier in the tournament but hopes of turning the scoreline around soon after the re-start were stymied by a simply created, but superbly finished, goal for Salah seven minutes after the break.
Rabia was well inside his own half when he chipped the ball over the top of the Ivorian defensive line, allowing Ashour to run onto it and hit an accurate pass with the outside of his right boot into the path of Salah to score.
An Ivorian comeback was still on when Doue touched home at the end of a goalmouth scramble in the 73rd minute.
That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance.
Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria overpowered Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech and will take on hosts Morocco in the other semifinal.
