Morocco will face Ghana on 4 October after negotiations for a friendly against Argentina failed to produce an agreement, coach Mohamed Ouahbi has said.
The Atlas Lions will host Ghana at the Grand Stade de Tanger after their two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Gabon and Lesotho.
Ouahbi said the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) had been seeking an opponent that had featured at the most recent World Cup. Ghana ultimately met that requirement, although several other options had also been explored.
The coach was asked why Burkina Faso and Benin had secured fixtures against Argentina while Morocco had not. He confirmed that a match with the world champions had been considered.
“It is true that there was a possibility of playing Argentina. It was a request from them,” Ouahbi said.
“We negotiated with several countries. I will not go into details about who refused or who did not.”
The Argentina proposal was reported to have been serious. According to information published several days earlier by journalist Veronica Brunati, the FRMF had offered about one million dollars to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to bring Argentina to Rabat.
Argentina eventually opted to play its autumn fixtures at home. The team is scheduled to face Bolivia on 30 September, Burkina Faso on 3 October and Benin on 6 October, all in Argentina.
Ouahbi said the geographical demands of the South American teams had made an away or neutral-site arrangement difficult.
“The South Americans were impossible. They had blocked out their Fifa dates and most of them were staying in South America or Central America,” he said.
That meant Morocco’s preferred plan did not match Argentina’s preparations. While Morocco wanted to host an opponent, Argentina’s programme was built around remaining at home.
The fact that Burkina Faso and Benin, who may be regarded as less highly rated than Morocco, will play Argentina does not necessarily mean they were chosen ahead of Morocco on sporting grounds. They agreed to travel to Buenos Aires, whereas Morocco’s proposed fixture depended on different logistical arrangements.
It is the second time in a year that a potentially high-profile meeting between Morocco and Argentina has failed to take place.
Ouahbi defended the decision to play Ghana, describing them as a suitable test for his squad.
“Ghana remain a good team. They had an interesting World Cup and have an experienced coach, Carlos Queiroz, so they are a good opponent for us,” he said.
The fixture therefore fulfils Ouahbi’s original aim of testing Morocco against another World Cup nation, rather than pursuing a prestigious name regardless of the conditions.
The Argentina match was discussed and negotiated, but the schedules and geographical requirements of the two federations could not be aligned. Morocco will face Ghana during the international break, while Argentina will host Burkina Faso and Benin.