Ghana is scheduled to face Morocco in an international friendly match at the Grand Stade de Tanger on Sunday, October 4, 2026. This fixture will offer both national teams an opportunity to evaluate their squads during the September-October international window.
The friendly match is set to kick off at 7:00 pm Morocco Time at the Grand Stade de Tanger. The announcement regarding this match was issued by GFA Communications.
Preparations for International Fixtures
For Ghana, this match against Morocco will serve as a preparatory test. The Black Stars will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Cote d’Ivoire on September 24. Following this, they will host The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 27, 2026.
The fixture in Morocco will provide the technical team with another competitive outing against high-level opposition, allowing them to test the team on Moroccan soil. This aligns with the broader objective of assessing the squad during the international window, which also includes two qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Morocco‘s head coach, Mohamed Wahbi, announced a 29-man squad on Thursday as preparations for the international break commenced. The Moroccan camp is scheduled to open next Monday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, where players will begin their preparations for a series of upcoming matches.
The Atlas Lions will first focus on their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Their initial match will be a home fixture against Gabon on Friday, September 25, to be played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, with a kick-off time of 7:00 p.m.
Following their home qualifier, Morocco will travel to South Africa for their second qualifier, where they will play against Lesotho on Tuesday, September 29, at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. This match is scheduled to kick off at 1:00 p.m.
Rivalry and Significance
The friendly against Ghana will conclude Morocco’s international-break programme five days later in Tangier. This meeting will bring together two of Africa’s historically recognized football teams, with both nations having faced each other in various major competitions and international friendlies over the decades.
Their rivalry dates back to the early 1960s during the qualifying campaign for the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Their first encounter, a goalless draw, took place in Accra on April 2, 1961. Morocco later won the return leg 1-0 in Casablanca that same year.
The two teams have also met in Africa Cup of Nations competitions, World Cup qualifiers, and friendly matches. Notable past meetings include the 1975 AFCON qualifiers, the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, and the 2002 and 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Recent senior men’s encounters have seen Morocco emerge victorious. The Atlas Lions defeated Ghana 1-0 in a friendly in Rabat on June 8, 2021. They secured another 1-0 victory over the Black Stars in the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which was played in Cameroon in January 2022. The 2021 AFCON meeting was decided by a goal from Sofiane Boufal, which secured three points for Morocco at the start of their campaign.
Both Morocco and Ghana have played significant roles in African football history. Ghana has won the Africa Cup of Nations four times during the 1960s and 1980s, while Morocco won the continental title in 1976. Morocco also made history by reaching the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinals in Qatar, becoming the first African and Arab team to reach that stage of the tournament.
The upcoming October 4 fixture in Tangier will add another chapter to this long-standing rivalry, providing both teams with a valuable opportunity during the international break.
Source: ghanasoccernet.com
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