Morocco’s Atlas Lions now know how their road to the next Africa Cup of Nations will begin, as the Morocco AFCON 2027 qualifiers campaign opens with a home match before a demanding trip to southern Africa, a sequence closely followed by fans inside the country and across the Moroccan diaspora.
Morocco AFCON 2027 qualifiers: what to know
According to the schedule released by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), the national team will start its qualifying campaign on 25 September 2026.
Morocco will host Gabon at 8 p.m. at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. This fixture will mark the Atlas Lions’ debut in this continental qualifying phase.
The appointed referee for this encounter is South African official Abongile Tom. The FRMF notes that this match comes in a busy period for the squad, with African and international commitments piling up.
Second match away to Lesotho
Just four days later, Morocco will play their second game of the Morocco AFCON 2027 qualifiers, this time away from home. The national team will travel to South Africa to face Lesotho.
The match is scheduled for 29 September 2026 at 3 p.m. local time, at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. The referee for this second fixture will be Cameroonian official Abdou Abdel Mefire.
This trip will be an early test for the Atlas Lions away from their home crowd, in a qualifying format where every point matters on the path to AFCON 2027.
A shared moment for Moroccans abroad
For Moroccans living abroad, these first two games are another chance to gather around the national team. Atlas Lions matches often act as an emotional link to home, whether watched on TV, in cafés or in community fan spaces.
Many supporters in Europe, North America and the Gulf closely track African competitions, especially when Morocco plays in Rabat and then travels elsewhere on the continent. The evening kick-off against Gabon and the afternoon fixture against Lesotho should allow some overseas fans to organise viewing parties depending on their time zones.
An intense calendar ahead
These two September fixtures are only the start of Morocco’s journey towards AFCON 2027, but they will already offer a first glimpse of the team’s form.
For supporters back home and abroad, a few key points stand out:
- Morocco vs Gabon: 25 September 2026, 8 p.m., Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (Rabat)
- Lesotho vs Morocco: 29 September 2026, 3 p.m. local time, Toyota Stadium (Bloemfontein)
- Match officials: Abongile Tom for the first game, Abdou Abdel Mefire for the second
The FRMF is expected to release further information on match preparation, ticketing and TV broadcasts in the coming weeks, updates that will be closely watched by fans following Moroccan football and the Morocco AFCON 2027 qualifiers from abroad.
For more context, readers can follow Canal212 news for Moroccans abroad.
For official updates, readers can check the relevant official source.
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