Morocco will be without one of their key players, Ismael Saibari, when they take on France in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been ruled out of the crucial clash with a hamstring injury, Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed.
Saibari sustained the injury during Morocco`s Round of 16 victory over Canada. He has been one of the team`s standout performers at this World Cup and is among their leading scorers.
The midfielder has emerged as one of the tournament`s breakout stars. Impressed by his performances, Bayern Munich recently signed him from PSV Eindhoven in a deal worth €50 million.
Speaking about Saibari`s absence, Ouahbi said the rest of the squad is fully fit.
Everyone`s available, except Saibari, with the match coming too early for him. although he`s not out for the rest of the tournament, I hope, the coach said.
Saibari scored in all three of Morocco`s group-stage matches. He also converted the winning penalty in the shootout against the Netherlands in the Round of 32.
The quarter-final also offers Morocco a chance for revenge. The Atlas Lions were eliminated by France in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup after becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the tournament`s last four.
Morocco now have another opportunity to make history by securing a place in the semi-finals once again.
-(1)-20260708075538.jpg)
-20260709061600.webp)
-(1)-20260708100203.jpg)
-20260708095422.jpg)
-20260704012832.webp)
-20260702060347.jpg)
