In a significant blow to their World Cup aspirations, Morocco has announced that key players Abdessamad Ezzalzouli from Betis and Nayef Aguerd from Olympique will not participate in the 2026 World Cup. This announcement comes just before Morocco's opening match against Brazil, as confirmed by the country's football federation.
To fill the void left by Ezzalzouli and Aguerd, the federation has called up Amin Sbai from Angers and Marwane Saadane from Al-Fateh. The absence of Ezzalzouli is particularly concerning, as he is currently dealing with a right knee injury that has affected his internal collateral ligament, which is expected to keep him sidelined for an extended period. Similarly, Aguerd is also struggling with recovery and will not be fit in time for the tournament.
Both players have been instrumental in their clubs' successful campaigns leading up to the World Cup, contributing significantly to Morocco's qualification. Fortunately, their replacements, Sbai and Saadane, have already engaged in training sessions with the team as part of the reserve list, demonstrating their readiness to step up in this crucial moment.
Morocco is placed in Group C of the 2026 World Cup and will kick off their tournament against Brazil on Saturday, June 13. Following this, they will face Scotland on June 19 and conclude the group stage with a match against Haiti on June 24.
As reported by tudn.com.
