Niger set sights on a point as Morocco double-header looms

Niger manager Nabil Neghiz has challenged his side to take at least one point from their two Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches against Morocco in November.

With no approved stadium available in Niger, the Mena will play both fixtures in Morocco during the third and fourth rounds of qualifying, with matches scheduled for Casablanca and Rabat.

Niger have not played a competitive home match in Niamey since 15 November 2021, when they beat Djibouti 7-2 in a 2022 World Cup qualifier. The Stade du General Seyni-Kountche is undergoing renovation, while plans for a new stadium are being considered for 2028.

As a result, the national team have spent almost five years playing home fixtures at neutral venues and away from their supporters.

Their November schedule means they will at least avoid the long journeys and limited preparation time that affected them during their previous international window. In September, Niger beat Lesotho 2-1 in Accra on 25 September before losing 2-0 to Gabon in Franceville on 29 September.

“Those matches involved long journeys, little time to recover and not many training sessions,” Neghiz told Afrik-Foot. “The advantage of playing these two games in Morocco is that the cities are close, around 90 kilometres apart, even though we would have preferred to play in front of our own supporters.”

Niger have already faced Morocco twice during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, losing 2-1 in Oujda and 5-0 in Rabat in 2025.

“Playing the best team in Africa, a World Cup quarter-finalist, on their own ground will be difficult,” said the Algerian coach. “They are a very strong team. Some of their players, including Brahim Diaz, Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari, play for the biggest clubs in the world, such as Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern.

“Morocco are formidable at home, but they are also strong away from home. We know what awaits us.”

Despite the clear gap between the teams, Neghiz believes Niger must approach the qualifiers with ambition. The Mena have not reached an Africa Cup of Nations finals since the 2013 tournament in South Africa.

“Morocco and Gabon are the favourites, but we have to set ourselves targets,” he said. “Before the final two rounds in March, we should aim to take at least one point against the Atlas Lions.

“We know it will be complicated and that we will not have the ball often, but we have to manage Morocco’s periods of pressure, as well as our own.”

Niger’s recent away victories provide encouragement. They won 2-1 in Ghana in 2024, then recorded 1-0 wins in Tanzania and Zambia in 2025.

Neghiz, who will announce his squad on Saturday, accepts that Niger do not match Morocco individually. Rahim Alhassane plays for Bologna and Konnan N’Dri for Lecce in Italy’s Serie A, while Oumar Sako is with Rostov in Russia and Ali Mohamed plays for Maccabi Haifa in Israel. Other squad members are based in Niger or in less prominent leagues in Lebanon, Albania, Luxembourg, Guinea and Bahrain.

“We know the Moroccans are superior, but we have our technical, physical and mental qualities,” Neghiz added. “My players are proud to wear their country’s shirt and they give everything in every match.”