Rwanda’s Algerian coach, Adel Amrouche has named a 28-man provisional list of players that will face Nigeria on Friday in Kigali and then Lesotho on Tuesday on the same ground.

He will, however, prune the squad to 23 as the countdown to the encounter with Nigeria continues.

Midfielders Hakim Sahabo and Rafael York are among the returnees to the squad of the new coach.

 Amavubi’s 28-man provisional squad, which was summoned by new head coach Adel Amrouche.

The duo’s last call up was on June 11, 2024, when Amavubi defeated Lesotho 1-0 in South Africa.

They were suspended from the team by former coach Torsten Spittler due to disciplinary reasons.

Also, back to the squad is attacking midfielder Djabel Imanishimwe who plays for Naft Al Wassat in Iraq.

The former APR captain hasn’t featured for Amavubi since February 6, 2022 when he played in an AFCON qualifier against Mozambique.

Other key returnees are goalkeeper Maxime Wenssens who wasn’t selected during Amavubi’s 2025 AFCON qualifiers as well as APR shot-stopper Pierre Ishimwe who has now cemented his place as APR’s number 1.

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A gathering of eagles is commonly called convocation. That will be the situation on Monday as the Super Eagles of Nigeria flock from all corners of Europe and Africa in Kigali, Rwanda.

They have a mission – to regain their esteem and put their World Cup qualifying hopes back on track.

Sports Village Square gathered that the players called up will fly directly to Kigali from their different bases while the duo of Remo Stars Kayode Bankole and Niger Tornadoes’ Papa Daniel Mustapha and the backroom staff of the team will leave from Nigeria on Monday to Kigali.

They will go aboard ValueJet, the new official airline of the team and the rest of the Nigeria national football teams.

The team has set up a camp at the Radisson Blu, which is about a 10-minute drive from the airport. It is connected to the new Kigali Convention Centre and just opposite the high-end shopping mall of Kigali Heights.

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Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has named four new players in his 26-man squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Niger and Tanzania on March 21 and 25.

Bilal Nadir, Chemsedine Taibi, Hamza Igamane, and Omar El Hilali are among the new faces in the squad, as the Atlas Lions continue to integrate young talent into the national team.

While new players make their way in, two key names will be absent from the squad.

Hakim Ziyech and Ayoub El Kaabi have been ruled out due to injuries. Ziyech, one of Morocco’s most creative playmakers, and El Kaabi, a proven goal scorer, leave significant gaps in the squad, forcing Regragui to rethink his attacking options.

The squad also sees Jawad El Yamiq and goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid returning after missing previous international matches.

Their comeback strengthens the team’s depth, particularly in defence and goalkeeping.

Morocco is currently leading Group E in the qualifiers and will be looking to extend their dominance as they edge closer to securing a place at the 2026 World Cup.

The Atlas Lions will play both matches in Oujda, taking advantage of home support as they seek six points to consolidate their position.

With the absence of Ziyech and El Kaabi, the attacking responsibility will fall on Youssef En-Nesyri, Soufiane Rahimi, Brahim Diaz, and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli.

After Morocco’s historic 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final run, expectations remain high, and Regragui has maintained a balance between experienced leaders and emerging talents.

Key figures such as Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, and Nayef Aguerd remain crucial to the squad’s ambitions.

With a strong squad and home advantage, Morocco is expected to dominate both matches, reinforcing their reputation as one of Africa’s strongest footballing nations

Morocco’s 26-Man Squad for World Cup Qualifiers

Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda), El Mehdi Benabid (FUS Rabat).

Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham United), Jawad El Yamiq (Al-Wahda), Abdel Abqar (Deportivo Alavés), Jamal Harkass (AS FAR), Omar El Hilali (Espanyol), Adam Aznou (Bayern Munich U19).

Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat (Manchester United), Azzedine Ounahi (Marseille), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven), Bilal El Khannouss (Genk), Oussama Targhalline (Le Havre), Bilal Nadir (Nice).

Forwards: Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis), Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain), Eliesse Ben Seghir (AS Monaco), Osame Sahraoui (Heerenveen), Hamza Igamane (Wydad AC), Chemsedine Taibi (FUS Rabat).

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