Niger face another stern test as Morocco target fourth straight win in AFCON 2027 qualifying

Morocco return to action against Niger on Tuesday, 17 November 2026 at 20:00 GMT, just four days after their emphatic 5-1 victory in the third round of CAN 2027 qualifying. Already top of Group A with nine points, the Atlas Lions will look to underline their superiority, while Niger must produce a markedly improved performance to avoid another heavy defeat. Cameroonian journalist and sports-betting expert Arthur Wandji provides his assessment of the match.

Niger have won only once in their past five matches, alongside one draw and three defeats. Their results in that period include a 2-1 victory over Lesotho, a 1-1 draw with Benin, and losses against Mauritania (0-1), Gabon (0-2) and Morocco (1-5). The defeat by Morocco on 13 November highlighted their defensive problems, particularly their difficulty in tracking the movement of opposing attackers and preventing gaps from opening between the lines.

Morocco’s recent record is considerably stronger, with three wins, one draw and one defeat in their last five fixtures. They have beaten Gabon 2-0, Lesotho 2-0 and Niger 5-1 during this qualifying campaign. Achraf Hakimi scored twice in the latest meeting, while Yassir Zabiri, Youssef En-Nesyri and Ayoub Oufkir also found the net. The result left Morocco first in Group A with nine points after three matches.

Niger coach has selected a 25-man squad for this international window, with the domestic league strongly represented. No fresh injury or suspension absences have been clearly identified for the Mena. Morocco, however, are without Ismael Saibari, Azzedine Ounahi, Ayoub El Kaabi and Chadi Riad because of injuries. Soufiane Rahimi is also missing from the squad.

Despite those absences, Mohamed Ouahbi can call on Brahim Diaz, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Yassir Zabiri and Youssef En-Nesyri, who has returned to international duty. Ayoub Oufkir also impressed on his debut against Niger, scoring in the process.

Recent form is listed as Niger: D/D/D/V/D and Morocco: V/N/V/V/D. Morocco have won their past five meetings with Niger, scored nine goals in three qualifying games and average three per match. Niger have conceded eight goals in the same number of fixtures, an average of 2.67 per game, and have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions.

The recommended exact-score selection is Morocco to win 3-0 at odds of 5.50. Morocco’s attacking strength, including Hakimi, Diaz, En-Nesyri and Zabiri, is expected to trouble a defence that conceded five goals in the previous meeting. A Morocco win without conceding is priced at 1.43, while Morocco scoring more than 1.5 goals is 1.21.

The other selections are over 2.5 goals at 1.36 and fewer than 2.5 Niger corners at 1.76. Morocco had 71% possession and 18 shots to Niger’s 29% and 13 shots on 13 November; Niger won only two corners. The forecast also notes that the match could produce at least three goals, although Morocco’s rotations and the pace of the game may have an influence. Odds may change.