Last updated: November 4, 2026. This article is refreshed every time CAF confirms new fixture details, a qualifying result comes in, or the Court of Arbitration for Sport moves on Senegal’s title appeal — see the tracker below for the current state of play.
AFCON 2027 Morocco betting odds carry a twist a lot of casual bettors still haven’t caught up with: the team you’d expect to be defending champions isn’t the team CAF officially recognises as such, and the body meant to settle that argument hasn’t ruled yet either. Senegal beat Morocco on the pitch in the AFCON 2025 final, lost the trophy on appeal, and are still waiting on a verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport — a wait that directly shapes how sportsbooks frame Morocco’s status heading into qualifying for East Africa 2027, where the Atlas Lions have now played their way to the top of Group A.
Who Is Actually the AFCON 2025 Champion?
On the pitch, Senegal beat hosts Morocco 1-0 in extra time in the AFCON 2025 final, played on 18 January 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Pape Gueye’s goal, scored after Brahim Díaz missed a panenka penalty and Senegal’s players briefly walked off the pitch in protest, looked like it had sealed a second continental title for the Teranga Lions.
That result didn’t survive the appeals process. In March 2026, CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal’s walk-off had breached tournament regulations and declared the match forfeited, turning the 1-0 extra-time win into an official 3-0 scoreline in Morocco’s favour.
Senegal haven’t accepted the ruling. Their federation took the case to CAS, and both sides — plus CAF — argued it out at a closed-door hearing in Lausanne on 8 October 2026. CAS confirmed it won’t issue a quick verdict: arbitrators opted for a full reasoned award rather than a short-form decision, which pushes the ruling to late November 2026. A fabricated document claiming CAS had already overturned the result in Senegal’s favour was debunked by fact-checkers over the summer of 2026 — as things stand on this update, no actual verdict has been issued either way.
Why This Still Matters for Anyone Betting on Morocco
For betting purposes, Morocco are now well into the 2027 qualifying campaign carrying the label that counts on official CAF documentation: « reigning champions ». That status feeds directly into how the market frames them for East Africa 2027 — a squad built around Brahim Díaz, Achraf Hakimi and a strong home-based core already looked like one of the tournament’s leading contenders before a ball was kicked in qualifying, and the opening results have only reinforced that.
Morocco’s Path Through Qualifying Group A
Morocco were drawn into Group A of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers alongside Gabon, Niger and Lesotho at the draw held in Cairo. On paper it looked like a manageable group for the Atlas Lions, and the opening two matchdays backed that up in full. Morocco’s 2-0 win over Gabon came at home in Rabat on 25 September 2026, through goals from Noussair Mazraoui (36′) and Soufiane Rahimi (85′). Four days later, Morocco’s 2-0 win over Lesotho in Bloemfontein, South Africa, came courtesy of Brahim Díaz (45′) and Azzedine Ounahi (82′).
CAF’s qualifying schedule sets out three international windows for the whole campaign:
- Matchdays 1-2: 21 September – 6 October 2026 (completed)
- Matchdays 3-4: 9-17 November 2026
- Matchdays 5-6: 22-30 March 2027
AFCON 2027 Qualifying Results: Morocco Top Group A After Two Wins (Updated 4 November 2026)
Two matchdays in, Group A looks exactly as lopsided as the draw suggested. Morocco sit top with six points from two games, a +4 goal difference and nothing conceded, after beating Gabon and Lesotho by the same 2-0 scoreline. Gabon and Niger are level on three points each after splitting results against each other and against Lesotho, per CAF’s group-by-group review of Matchday Two, and Lesotho remain without a point following back-to-back defeats.
Matchdays 3 and 4 bring an unusual twist: both of Morocco’s next fixtures against Niger will be played on Moroccan soil, after Niger failed to secure a CAF-approved home venue. Morocco host Niger at the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca on 13 November 2026, then meet again four days later at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on 17 November 2026 — a game that officially counts as Niger’s “home” fixture despite being staged in Morocco.
Team news complicates the betting picture. Ouahbi will be without six first-choice players for the double-header, with Ismaël Saibari, Ounahi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Rahimi, Chadi Riad and Hamza Igamane all missing both matches, though striker Youssef En-Nesyri has been recalled — a boost for backers looking at Morocco’s goalscoring markets against a Niger side that has already shipped four goals in two qualifiers.
No regulated sportsbook had published confirmed 1X2 pricing for either leg of the double-header at the time of this update; qualifying markets on licensed books typically open in the days immediately before kickoff. Given Morocco’s 4-0 aggregate scoring record and zero goals conceded through two matches, expect them to be priced as heavy favourites in both fixtures once lines open, with Niger’s realistic value likely sitting in Asian handicap or both-teams-to-score markets rather than a straight win bet.
AFCON 2027 Group A: Qualifying Fixture Tracker & Betting Angles
This table tracks every Group A fixture for Morocco and will be updated as results and new betting lines come in.
| Matchday | Fixture | Result / Date & Venue | Betting Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD1 | Morocco vs Gabon | Morocco won 2-0 (Mazraoui 36′, Rahimi 85′) — 25 September 2026, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat | Morocco’s third straight win over Gabon in qualifying; a short Morocco price is likely whenever these two meet again. |
| MD2 | Lesotho vs Morocco | Morocco won 2-0 (Díaz 45′, Ounahi 82′) — 29 September 2026, Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein | A clean sheet away from home confirms Morocco’s defence as the group’s biggest asset for under/over and clean-sheet markets. |
| MD3 | Morocco vs Niger | 13 November 2026, Mohammed V Sports Complex, Casablanca | Morocco missing six first-choice players but still expected to start as clear favourites against a Niger side already beaten by Gabon. |
| MD4 | Niger vs Morocco (played in Morocco) | 17 November 2026, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat | Officially Niger’s home leg despite the venue; expect a similarly short Morocco price given the surroundings. |
| MD5-6 | Morocco’s remaining Group A fixtures (dates TBC) | Window: 22-30 March 2027 | Final qualifying round; a Morocco win in either November fixture would put qualification almost out of reach for the rest of the group. |
What the Group Draw Means for the Final Tournament
The top two teams from each of the 12 qualifying groups advance to the 24-team finals, jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from 19 June to 17 July 2027 — the first time the tournament returns to East Africa since 1976. A start as dominant as Morocco’s six points from two games usually means bettors see short qualification odds well before the final round of matches next March, and Polymarket’s Group A qualifying winner market already reflects that, pricing Morocco at roughly a 95% implied probability to top the group as of this update — treat that figure as a directional signal rather than a firm sportsbook line, since prediction markets like this one can be thin on any single matchup.
Where the Outright Odds Stand Right Now
Full outright markets for AFCON 2027 still aren’t widely published by major regulated bookmakers — most operators wait until qualifying firms up before pricing the tournament winner. But a clearer early signal now exists on prediction markets: Polymarket’s AFCON 2027 winner market has Morocco trading at roughly 34%, with Senegal next at about 19%, Algeria around 10% and Ivory Coast near 9%. Total volume on that market sits at only about $20,000, so it’s thin enough that a single large bet can move the price — read it as sentiment, not a settled line.
That gap is still worth watching rather than ignoring. Once licensed sportsbooks release their first outright prices, the champions’ tag — however contested off the pitch — combined with a perfect qualifying record so far, is likely to keep Morocco near the top of the list.
How to Track Morocco’s Qualifying Campaign and the Wider Market
For a fuller breakdown of markets, tips and licensed bookmakers covering the whole competition, see our AFCON 2027 Betting Guide. Morocco aren’t the only side worth tracking through qualifying — our Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania qualifiers guide covers the co-hosts’ own path to the finals they’ll stage, our Nigeria Super Eagles qualifying odds piece breaks down the Group L run-in in the same level of detail, and our look at Nigeria’s must-win Tanzania double-header tracks a squad-news story with a similar shape to Morocco’s clash with Niger. You can also browse our full hub of predictions and tips for other competitions running throughout the season. If you’re tracking multiple tournaments at once, our betting tips homepage rounds up the latest predictions across every competition we cover, from the Champions League to the Premier League title race.
Quick Takeaways for Bettors
- Senegal won 1-0 on the pitch in the AFCON 2025 final, but CAF’s Appeal Board overturned the result to a 3-0 forfeit win for Morocco in March 2026.
- Senegal’s CAS appeal was heard in Lausanne on 8 October 2026; a full reasoned verdict is now expected in late November 2026 — Morocco’s « champions » status remains officially recognised but still contested.
- Morocco won both of their opening Group A qualifiers, beating Gabon and Lesotho by the same 2-0 scoreline, and sit top with six points, a +4 goal difference and no goals conceded.
- Both of Morocco’s next two qualifiers — against Niger on 13 and 17 November 2026 — will be played in Morocco (Casablanca, then Rabat), after Niger couldn’t secure an approved home stadium.
- No regulated sportsbook had posted live odds for the Niger double-header at the time of writing; Morocco’s spotless qualifying record so far points to short favourite prices once markets open.
- Prediction market Polymarket has Morocco around 34% to win the 2027 title outright and roughly 95% to top Group A — numbers worth treating cautiously given thin trading volume.
- The finals run 19 June – 17 July 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Where to Bet on AFCON 2027 Qualifiers
Once regulated bookmakers open their AFCON 2027 qualifying lines, here are the platforms worth comparing for Morocco’s Group A fixtures:
Oliver is a sports betting analyst with over 8 years of experience covering football, basketball, and esports across African and international markets. He specializes in odds analysis, bankroll management, and match previews for leagues including the English Premier League, CAF Champions League, and Kenyan Premier League. Oliver is passionate about helping bettors make informed decisions through data-driven insights rather than guesswork. When he’s not breaking down match statistics, he’s testing new betting strategies and reviewing bookmaker platforms for fairness and payout speed.
