Morocco Makes Emergency Roster Changes Due to Injuries Ahead of World Cup

The Moroccan national football team has made emergency roster changes, replacing two players due to injuries just one day before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.

According to the player replacement list released by FIFA, Morocco's center-back Nayef Aguerd (Marseille) and winger Abde Ezzalzouli (Betis) have been dropped from the squad.

The Moroccan team has filled the two vacancies with veteran defender Marwane Saadane (Al-Fateh) and forward Amine Sbai (Angers).

Moroccan media outlet 'Morocco World News' reported, "Aguerd had been included in head coach Mohamed Ouahbi's final roster despite not having played in competitive matches for a long time," adding, "However, he was dropped after failing to fully recover his fitness ahead of the first group stage match."

The report continued, "Unlike Ezzalzouli, who was injured recently, there were concerns regarding Aguerd's match fitness. Ultimately, the coaching staff decided not to take the risk of keeping a defender who was not fully prepared."

The void left by Aguerd, a key defender who helped anchor the team during their historic run to the semifinals at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, will be filled by Saadane, a 34-year-old veteran defender currently playing for Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia.

Morocco is set to play its first Group C match against Brazil on June 14.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.