Morocco have been dealt a body blow as their star forward Ismael Saibari has been ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal against France on Friday (IST), head coach Mohamed Ouahbi revealed. Saibari, who has just joined Bayern Munich, was replaced after 22 minutes in Morocco’s 3-0 round of 16 win against Canada in Houston due to a hamstring problem and has failed to recover for the important clash at the Boston Stadium, which kicks off at 1:30 AM IST.ย
Saibari took medical tests and analysis in the last few days to determine the extent of his injury. Coach Ouahbi confirmed that the forward won’t be available for the quarterfinal, but sounded optimistic that he might not be out of the whole competition. “Everyone’s available, except Saibari, with the match coming too early for him,” Ouahbi told the media during the pre-match press conference. “Although he’s not out for the rest of the tournament, I hope. Everyone’s available, although we of course will only select the players who are at 100%,” he added.
Saibari – The standout player for the African nation
Saibari has been the most prolific player for Morocco in the ongoing tournament. He is Morocco’s leading goalscorer with three crucial strikes in the ongoing tournament. He scored in all three matches of the group stage, once against Brazil in the 1-1 draw, then a winner against Scotland in the 1-0 victory and then finally an equaliser against Haiti in the 4-2 win. The 25-year-old also scored the all-important decisive penalty against the Netherlands in the round of 32 clash to power his team into the pre-quarterfinals.ย
Who will replace Saibari in the quarterfinal?
Soufiane Rahimi is expected to replace the new Bayern Munich signee for the quarterfinal as the Al Ain striker scored in the stoppage time during the round of 16 clash in Morocco’s 3-0 win. He also scored a goal in the 4-2 win over Haiti. While he looks the best option to replace Saibari, the coach is counting on all the strength that his team possesses.ย
“When you want to go very far in a competition, you need everybody, and the players who cannot be in the starting 11 know that they have the opportunity to finish the match,” he added. “We have starters, and then when others are subbed in, they can make a difference on the pitch for us. This is a positive for the group, and it’s something that gives us a lot of confidence.”
Morocco look to avenge the 2022 loss against the Les Blues
Meanwhile, the Atlas Lions are looking to avenge their loss in the 2022 World Cup semifinals against France, who had knocked the African nation out in a 2-0 win. That run was the best run 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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