Morocco's preparations for their World Cup quarterfinal clash against France have been significantly impacted by the news that star forward Ismael Saibari will not participate due to injury. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed that Saibari, who suffered a hamstring injury during the last-16 match against Canada, has not recovered in time for the pivotal knockout match.

Saibari's Injury and Impact

“Everyone is 100 percent fit except Saibari. This game comes too soon for him, but I hope he is not out for the rest of the competition,” Ouahbi stated during a press conference ahead of Thursday's match in Boston. Saibari has been a key player for Morocco, having recently joined Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven for a reported fee of 50 million euros ($57 million). He has been instrumental in the tournament, scoring in each of Morocco's three group matches and netting the decisive penalty in the shootout victory over the Netherlands in the last 32.

Morocco's Ambitions

Following Saibari's exit from the match against Canada, Soufiane Rahimi took his place and went on to score Morocco's third goal in the 3-0 victory. The Atlas Lions are looking to avenge their 2-0 loss to France in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, where they made history as the first African or Arab team to reach that stage. Coach Ouahbi emphasized the team's determination, dismissing the notion that reaching the quarterfinals is already a success. “We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow,” he asserted, indicating the team's focus on advancing further in the tournament.

As Morocco gears up for this high-stakes encounter, Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz expressed confidence in the team's ability to compete against the favored French side. “Tomorrow, we are playing one of the favourites, but we have shown we can compete, and that is why we are here. I have full faith and full confidence in the team,” Diaz remarked, highlighting the team's readiness for the challenge ahead.