The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has cancelled Morocco’s planned friendly against Ghana and confirmed that Mali will take the place of the Black Stars.
The decision follows internal problems within the Ghana squad and the players’ reluctance to travel to Morocco. The FRMF announced the change in a statement on Wednesday, ending the uncertainty over whether the fixture would go ahead.
The federation had been waiting for a response from the Ghana Football Association (GFA), as reported by insider Youssef the previous day. At the same time, the FRMF was exploring alternatives and had opened discussions with both Mali and Cape Verde.
Mali’s replacement fixture was made possible after a change to their schedule involving Tunisia. The Eagles were originally due to play Tunisia on 3 October at Rades, but that match was rearranged following discussions with Tunisia manager Mouine Chaabani and the agreement of the Malian Football Federation (Femafoot), according to Ettachkila.
The switch means Mali will now face Morocco instead of Ghana, with the Moroccan federation formally confirming the arrangement after consultations between the relevant national associations.
Mali have made a strong start to their qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, winning both of their matches so far. They defeated Cape Verde 3-1 before securing a 0-1 victory against Liberia.
Morocco have also won both of their matches in the campaign. They beat Gabon 2-0 in Rabat on 24 September, before overcoming Lesotho 0-2 on Tuesday in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Mohamed Ouhabi and his players therefore approach their next fixture as group leaders, with two wins from two matches and confidence high after their results in the opening rounds.