Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are in the “second row” in the Arab Cup.. Who is competing for the title?

The teams of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco will enter the 2025 Arab Cup competitions with auxiliary squads, in a joint step imposed by the intense preparations for the African Cup of Nations hosted by Morocco in December, which prompted the technical staff of the three teams to distribute the effort between two major tournaments that enjoy high public and technical specificity. This approach aims to maintain the readiness of the main players to compete in the continental championship, while investing in the Arab Cup tournament to prepare the reserve team and give the new elements the opportunity to appear in strong official matches.

Those in charge of the participating teams believe that competing in the Arab Cup in the second round represents an opportunity to enhance technical and physical depth, especially since the tournament is being held at a very close time with the start of the African Cup, which makes the participation of the main players risky. In addition, the tournament provides an important space to test new players and evaluate their readiness, in addition to maintaining the playing style of a group of elements capable of supporting the first team when needed.

The Moroccan national team is the most prominent team participating in the reserve team, as it announced a list that includes a mixture of experience and promising elements. The guard list included Salah El-Din Chehab, Mehdi Benabid, and Rachid Ghanmi, while the defense line witnessed the presence of Haitham Maaout, Hamza Al-Moussawi, Marawan El-Ouadni, Mohamed Mufid, Anas Bash, Mohamed Boulksot, Marawan Saadane, Sofiane Bouftini, and Mahmoud Bentayek. In the middle of the field, the technical staff relied on names capable of controlling the rhythm of play, such as Ayoub Khairy, Khaled Ait Orkhan, Mohamed Rabie Harimat, Saber Bougrin, Ashraf El Mahdaoui, and Walid El Karti. As for the attack, it is led by prominent stars with extensive experience, such as Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah, Walid Azaro, and Karim Al-Barkawi, along with Tariq Tisoudali, Osama Tannan, and Ashraf Bin Sharqi, which gives the team great offensive power despite the auxiliary nature of the squad. Morocco is competing in a group that includes two teams from Oman, Somalia, Yemen or the Comoros, a group that gives the team an appropriate opportunity to harmonize before the qualifying rounds.

As for the Algerian national team, it entered the tournament with a reserve list that was not devoid of bright and experienced names, as the goalkeeper included Farid Chaal, Rayan Yesly, and Mohamed Hadid. In defense, there were Hawari Baaouch, Nofal Khasif, Mohamed Ezzi, Abdelkader Badran, Ayoub Ghazala, Ashraf Obada, Redha Ben Chaaa and Mohamed Halaymiya, a group distinguished by its solidity and continental experience. In the midfield, Sufyan Ben Dabke leads the group alongside Victor Lakhal, Houssem Mreiziq and Zakaria Draoui, while the front line includes an elite group of heavyweights such as Yassine Brahimi, Islam Slimani, Amir Saioud, Yassine Ben Zia and Adam Ounas, which makes the team, despite its reserve nature, a strong competitor in the fourth group.

For its part, the Tunisian national team announced a reserve list capable of providing good levels in the tournament, as it relied on Ayman Dahmane and Noureddine Farhati as goalkeepers. In defense, the list includes Muhammad bin Ali, Ali Maaloul, Muhammad Amin bin Hamida, Yassin Meriah, Hamza Al-Jalasi, Marwan Al-Sahrawi, and Osama Al-Hadadi, all of whom have great experience on the Arab and continental scene. The midfield of the team is led by Ferjani Sassi, Hossam Taqa, Ismail Al-Gharbi, Mohamed Hajj Mahmoud, Shihab Al-Jabali and Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan, while the attacking line constitutes a significant force through Omar Layouni, Naim Sleti, Nassim Dandani, Hazem Al-Masturi and Firas Shawat.

The three teams agree that the Arab Cup Championship represents an ideal station for preparing the reserve players, testing their levels, and preparing the first team for the major African Championship without exhausting the basic elements. The tournament also gives fans an opportunity to discover new stars who may have a pivotal role in the coming years, which makes the reserve’s participation in the current edition a calculated technical choice that serves the general strategy of the Maghreb teams before entering the African Cup of Nations challenge.