Morocco will play both of their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches against Niger at home in November, with the fixtures taking place in Casablanca and Rabat.

The Atlas Lions are scheduled to face Niger in the third and fourth rounds of Group A qualifying during the next international break.

The first match will be played at the Complexe Mohammed V in Casablanca on 13 November. The return fixture will follow four days later, on 17 November, at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.

The arrangements were confirmed by the Federation royale marocaine de football (FRMF) in a statement.

Morocco had initially been expected to travel to Accra for the first meeting. That plan was abandoned after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) apologised to the Federation Nigerienne de Football (Fenifoot) for being unable to stage the fixture at Accra Sports Stadium, according to Moroccan newspaper Assabah.

Ghanaian officials reportedly said their national team was due to play Somalia at the same venue on 13 November. Ghana’s Under-23 side was also expected to use the stadium as part of preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers.

Accra Sports Stadium is the only venue in Ghana authorised to host international matches, leaving the GFA unable to accommodate the Niger fixture.

Fenifoot subsequently asked the Federation Beninoise de Football (FBF) for permission to stage the match at the Stade de l’Amitie in Cotonou. That request was not granted.

With Niger facing difficulties in finding a suitable venue, the FRMF is reported to have offered to host the match in Morocco. The country has 13 stadiums meeting the required standards and available during the November international window.

Morocco began their qualifying campaign with victories over Gabon and Lesotho in September. They beat Gabon 2-0 before recording a 2-0 away win against Lesotho.

The results have left Mohamed Ouahbi’s side alone at the top of Group A, with a three-point advantage over the team in second place.

Two further victories against Niger would put the Atlas Lions in a strong position to secure qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The tournament is currently due to be jointly staged by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, although it remains unclear whether those three countries will ultimately host the competition.