Morocco national team, the Atlas Lions arrive today ahead of Saturday’s 2010 Fifa /Nations’ Cup qualifier against Rwanda’s Amavubi at Nyamirambo stadium. According to the local football body, Ferwafa, the North Africans are expected to jet in the country this afternoon aboard SN Brussels plane and will stay at hotel Des Milles Collines. The Morocco team is coming without their lethal striking pair of Marouane Chamakh (FC Girondins de Bordeaux) and Youssef Hadji (Stades Rennais). The pair’s absence was confirmed by the Royal Football Federation of Morocco (MRFF) through a fax when delivering the list of the names of people in their delegation to the local football’s governing body, Ferwafa last week. The list had names of 37 people including 24 players and 13 officials. The pair is not the only influential players excluded from the squad, others professional players left out include; Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord) and Nabil Dirar (Club Brugge K.V). However, players to watch out for include; Michaël Chrétien (AS Nancy), Badr El Kaddouri (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Amin Erbati (Olympique Marseille), Salaheddine Sbai (R. Charleroi S.C), Mbark Boussoufa (R.S.C. Anderlecht), Nabil El Zhar (Liverpool F.C), Rachid Hamdani (AS Nancy), Adil Hermach (RC Lens), Houssine Kharja(A.C. Siena), Youssef Safri (Southampton F.C), Soufiane Alloudi(Al Ain FC), Abdessalam Benjelloun (Hibernian), Brahim El Bahri (Le Mans Union Club 72) and Tarik Sektioui (Porto). The Moroccons have scored seven goals in two matches, which shows that they are an attacking team. Abdessalam Benjelloun and Houssine Kharja are their leading scorers with two each, while Tarik Sektioui, Youssef Safri, and Hicham Aboucharouane have each scored one apiece. The Amavubi Stars have scored five goals with skipper Olivier Karekezi and Saidi Abedi Makasi leading the way with two apiece while Labama Bokota has one. Morocco, who maintained their winning record by thrashing Mauritania 4-1 on over the weekend face Rwanda in what is described as the group’s decider of who goes through to next round of the qualifying round. The 12 group winners and 8 best runners-up will advance to Round Three. The 20 teams will then be grouped into 5 round-robin, home-and-away groups of 4 teams. Ends
