Morocco’s qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations U20 may not be enough to secure Ludovic Batelli’s position as head coach of the Lionceaux de l’Atlas.
The French coach is expected to meet Morocco’s National Technical Directorate (DTN) next week to review the team’s campaign at the UNAF tournament, according to the account youssef amz13.
Morocco secured one of the two qualification places available for the next Africa Cup of Nations U20, meeting the main target set for the competition. However, the team’s performances are understood to have raised concerns internally, despite achieving that objective.
The Lionceaux de l’Atlas ended their campaign with a surprising 3-2 defeat by Libya. They had taken the lead in the match but ultimately lost, allowing Egypt to finish top of the tournament.
That result has left Morocco’s overall campaign looking mixed and could now affect Batelli’s future. The DTN is expected to examine both the team’s collective performances and the difficulties encountered during the tournament.
Although qualification is regarded as a clear positive, changes could be considered ahead of Morocco’s next commitments. Batelli’s departure has not been decided, however, and no official announcement has been made about his position.
The outcome of next week’s meeting is expected to depend partly on the report Batelli submits on the training camp and tournament, as well as the conclusions reached by the DTN after reviewing it.
Batelli will be able to point to Morocco’s achievement in reaching the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations U20, with the side’s important 2-0 victory over Egypt playing a significant role in securing qualification.
That result was followed by a less convincing ending to the campaign. Morocco’s defeat by Libya in the final round came after they had opened the scoring, leaving a more uncertain impression despite the successful outcome in terms of qualification.
The meeting will therefore help determine whether the Moroccan Football Federation maintains continuity with Batelli in charge as the team prepares for the finals, or decides that changes to the technical staff are required.
For now, the Frenchman remains in his role, but his future is expected to be discussed when the review takes place next week.