Niger coach Nabil Neghiz regrets not hosting Morocco in AFCON qualifiers

Niger coach Nabil Neghiz said he was sorry his country could not host Morocco, and that he would have preferred to play one of the two matches in front of Nigerien fans, ahead of the teams’ meetings in the third and fourth rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Algerian coach acknowledged the difficulty of the task against Morocco, pointing to the quality and depth of its squad, its players’ international experience and the fact that several of them play professionally in leading European leagues. But he stressed that Niger would not go into the two matches with a defeatist mindset, and that the coaching staff was preparing the team to put in a competitive performance and take its chances, while maintaining discipline, organisation and focus.

Neghiz explained that infrastructure limitations had prevented Niger from hosting the match, meaning both games would be played in Morocco. The teams will meet on Friday, 13 November at Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, before facing each other again on Tuesday, 17 November at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

The two matches are part of the qualifiers for the tournament hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Morocco are looking to strengthen their position in the group, while Niger hope to challenge them despite playing both matches away from home.