Morocco have suffered a major setback ahead of their highly anticipated World Cup quarter final against France after influential midfielder Ismael Saibari was officially ruled out because of a hamstring injury.
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed that Saibari will not be available for Thursday’s crucial match, although he remains hopeful the talented playmaker can recover in time if Morocco progress further in the tournament. According to Ouahbi, every other player in the squad is fully fit, but the quarter final has arrived too soon for Saibari to make his return.
The 25 year old midfielder has been one of Morocco’s most impressive performers throughout the competition. He found the net in all three group stage matches and also scored the decisive penalty during the shootout victory over the Netherlands in the Round of 32. His creativity and attacking quality have played a vital role in Morocco’s journey to the last eight.
Saibari picked up the injury during Morocco’s convincing 3-0 victory over Canada in the Round of 16. He was forced off the field early, with striker Soufiane Rahimi replacing him and later scoring Morocco’s third goal to seal an impressive win.
Adding to Saibari’s memorable summer, he recently completed a high profile move from PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich on a reported five year deal worth around 50 million euros, highlighting his growing reputation in European football.
Morocco now face the challenge of overcoming one of the tournament favourites while hoping to avenge their 2-0 defeat to France in the 2022 World Cup semi final. Coach Ouahbi insisted his team is not satisfied with simply reaching the quarter finals. He emphasized that the players are fully focused on reaching the semi finals and believe they have the quality to compete with the best teams in the world.
Brahim Diaz also expressed confidence before the match, stating that Morocco have already shown they can compete against top nations. The Real Madrid star believes his side has the belief, determination, and talent to challenge France and continue making history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
