New Delhi:Morocco have received a massive blow as star forward Ismael Saibari has been ruled out of Friday’s (IST) FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal against France, head coach Mohamed Ouahbi revealed. The Bayern Munich signing was substituted after 22 minutes of Morocco’s 3-0 round-of-16 win against Canada in Houston due to a hamstring problem and has not recovered for the crucial clash at the Boston Stadium, which kicks off at 1:30 AM IST.
Saibari has gone through medical tests and analysis in the last few days to determine the extent of his injury. The forward will miss the quarterfinal, coach Ouahbi confirmed, but the coach was optimistic he might not be out of the whole competition. "Everybody is available, Saibari is out because it's too early for him in the game," Ouahbi told media at the pre-match press conference. "Not out the rest of the tournament I hope. “Everyone is available but of course we will only pick the players that are at 100%,” he added.
Saibari – The man to watch for the African nationSaibari has been Morocco’s leading player in the current tournament. He has three important goals in the current tournament, leading Morocco’s scoring chart. He scored in all three group stage games, scoring once against Brazil in the 1-1 draw, before scoring the winner against Scotland in the 1-0 win, and then scoring an equaliser against Haiti in the 4-2 win. The 25-year-old also netted the all-important decisive penalty
to power his team into the pre-quarterfinals.
Who will replace Saibari in the quarterfinal?Al Ain striker Soufiane Rahimi is tipped to replace the new Bayern Munich signing in the quarter-final after scoring in stoppage time in Morocco's 3-0 win in the round of 16 tie. He also scored in the 4-2 win over Haiti. He appears to be the best option to replace Saibari, but the coach is counting on all the strength his team has.
“If you want to go very far in a competition, you need everyone, and the players who are not in the starting 11 know they have the opportunity to finish the match,” he added. We have starters, and then when others come on they can make a difference for us on the pitch. This is a positive for the group. It is something that gives us a lot of confidence.”
Morocco after revenge for 2022 defeat to Les BluesMeanwhile, the Atlas Lions will be looking to revenge their defeat against France in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals. The African nation were knocked out by their opponents in a 2-0 victory. It was the best ever performance by an African nation at the global showpiece, as they became the first African side to reach the semifinals of the tournament.
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