There is always something different about the first match of a new campaign.

For Morocco, September 25 will not simply mark the beginning of another qualification process. It will be the first step toward a new continental objective, less than a year before Africa’s best teams gather in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for AFCON 2027.

The Atlas Lions begin at home against Gabon in Rabat before travelling to Bloemfontein four days later to face Lesotho. On paper, Morocco enter Group A as the leading force. But African qualifiers have repeatedly shown that reputation alone does not collect points.

For Mohamed Ouahbi and his players, the challenge is therefore straightforward: turn expectation into control.

Morocco do not need to win AFCON 2027 in September. They do, however, need to start building the team capable of competing for it. That next phase follows a World Cup campaign that raised important questions about the future of the Atlas Lions.

Morocco’s Next Chapter Starts Now

Morocco will enter qualification as the top seed in Group A. CAF placed the Atlas Lions in Pot 1 before the draw, alongside other major African nations including Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon. Gabon came from Pot 2.

That status inevitably brings expectations.

But qualification campaigns are rarely remembered for how they look before the first whistle. What matters is how quickly a team imposes itself on the group.

The format gives Morocco little reason to panic but plenty of reason to be serious. Forty-eight nations have been divided into 12 groups of four. Group A does not contain one of the three automatically qualified host nations, meaning the teams finishing first and second will advance to the 24-team tournament.

That makes Morocco clear favourites to qualify.

The more interesting question is how they qualify.

A convincing campaign would allow Ouahbi to develop his ideas, test combinations and create momentum without spending every international window fighting to repair earlier mistakes.

That process starts against Gabon.

Understanding AFCON 2027 Group A

Morocco have been drawn alongside Gabon, Niger and Lesotho in Group A.

Gabon appear to be Morocco’s most obvious challenger on paper, while Niger and Lesotho will present different home-and-away tests during a six-match campaign.

Ouahbi himself has warned against treating these opponents as unknown quantities. Speaking after the draw, he noted that Morocco know the teams from recent meetings and described Gabon as a highly competitive side with quality players.

Being favourite should change Morocco’s ambition, not their concentration.

The Atlas Lions should be targeting first place rather than simply calculating the minimum number of points required to qualify.

Morocco vs Gabon: The First Real Test

The opening fixture immediately gives Morocco an opportunity to establish control over Group A.

Playing at home matters. So does the identity of the opponent.

Gabon are not the kind of team Morocco can afford to approach passively. Ouahbi’s own assessment is revealing: he has described them as a highly competitive team and highlighted the quality available to them.

For Morocco, that could make this first match useful beyond the three points.

When the Atlas Lions dominate possession, one recurring challenge is converting territorial superiority into clear chances. Opponents prepared to defend deeper can force Morocco to circulate the ball patiently and find solutions in crowded spaces.

That means the questions on September 25 may go beyond the scoreline.

• Can Morocco move the ball quickly enough to destabilise an organised defence?
• Can they create danger without becoming vulnerable when possession is lost?
• Can they maintain intensity if an early goal does not arrive?
• Can Ouahbi’s team control the pressure that comes with being expected to win at home?

A victory would be the expected result.

A controlled victory would tell us considerably more.

Why Lesotho Away Deserves Respect

Four days later, the environment changes.

This is precisely the type of fixture that can look simple when viewed from a rankings table and become awkward once the game begins.

The Atlas Lions will move from a home match in Rabat to an away fixture only four days later. Preparation time will be limited. Recovery, rotation and concentration therefore become part of the challenge.

Morocco should have the technical superiority to dictate the game.

But possession alone is not the objective.

Against an opponent likely to spend significant periods without the ball, Morocco may need patience while still playing with enough speed to prevent the defensive block from settling.

These are the matches in which qualification campaigns can become unnecessarily complicated. Morocco have already shown the value of disciplined game management in recent tournament football, as our match-by-match analysis of Morocco’s World Cup 2026 group stage illustrates.

A favourite dominates. The opponent survives. Frustration grows. Spaces disappear. One transition or set piece suddenly changes the entire afternoon.

Morocco’s task is to prevent the game from reaching that stage.

What Mohamed Ouahbi Must Establish

Qualification is the immediate objective, but September can serve a second purpose.

It can begin defining what Mohamed Ouahbi’s Morocco actually looks like.

The new campaign offers the coaching staff competitive matches in which results matter while still providing room to develop the team over six matchdays.

Three areas will be particularly revealing.

1. Control Without Sterility

Morocco should expect periods of heavy possession against several Group A opponents. The challenge is making that possession productive rather than decorative.

2. Defensive Security During Attacks

The more players Morocco commit forward, the more important their positioning becomes when the ball is lost. Qualifying matches can be decided by a single counterattack.

3. Competition Within the Squad

A long international cycle cannot depend on eleven players. Qualifying should help establish reliable alternatives and combinations before the finals arrive.

Ouahbi’s comments after the draw suggest familiarity rather than complacency.

Morocco know these opponents. Now they must show that knowledge on the pitch.

Why Six Points Would Matter

Mathematically, Morocco’s qualification will not be decided in September.

Psychologically, the first window can still shape the campaign.

Two victories would give the Atlas Lions six points before qualification resumes in November.

CAF has scheduled Matchdays 3 and 4 for the international window between November 9 and 17, with the final two rounds to follow between March 22 and 30, 2027.

Six opening points would therefore buy something valuable: control.

Instead of entering November under pressure, Morocco could approach the next window from a position of strength.

That can influence squad management, tactical experimentation and even the atmosphere surrounding the national team.

There is also a broader standard involved.

For a team with Morocco’s ambitions, qualifying for AFCON should not be regarded as the final achievement.

The campaign should help prepare the Atlas Lions to compete once they arrive there.

The Bigger AFCON 2027 Picture

The destination is historic.

AFCON 2027 will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the first edition of the competition staged across three countries.

Twenty-four teams will compete, with the tournament scheduled from June 19 to July 17, 2027.

For Morocco, the road there contains six qualifying matches.

But the significance of those games extends beyond collecting enough points to finish in the top two.

• Every international window is preparation.
• Every selection decision contributes to the hierarchy of the squad.
• Every difficult away match provides information.
• Every strong performance increases belief that the team is progressing rather than simply qualifying.

That is why September matters.

The road to East Africa does not begin with a final, a trophy or a dramatic knockout match.

It begins in Rabat against Gabon.

Historical Perspective: Qualification Is Only the Beginning

Morocco’s place among Africa’s leading football nations creates an unusual standard.

Reaching a major tournament is expected.

Competing for it is the real measurement.

That changes the meaning of a qualification campaign.

Matches against Gabon, Niger and Lesotho cannot be treated solely as obstacles between Morocco and another AFCON appearance. They are competitive laboratories in which weaknesses can be exposed before the stakes become much higher.

The Atlas Lions therefore have two parallel missions.

The first is obvious: qualify.

The second is harder: arrive in East Africa as a stronger and more complete team than the one that began the journey.

September 25 is the first opportunity to measure that progress.

Morocco Football Tribune — Independent coverage, analysis and insight into Moroccan and African football.