Blow for Ouahbi before the two Niger fixtures: Morocco star injured and replacement called up
Morocco have suffered a blow in their preparations for the two matches against Niger, after it was confirmed that midfielder Neil El Aynaoui would be absent due to injury, prompting coach Mohamed Ouahbi to call up Samir Mourabet, the Strasbourg player, to replace him in the Atlas Lions squad.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation explained in a statement on its website this Wednesday that El Aynaoui had turned up to the training camp with ankle discomfort. The national team's medical staff then ran a thorough assessment and further tests on Tuesday.
Those results showed the midfielder would not be fit enough to play the next two matches in peak condition. So the technical staff, after talks with the player and his club, cleared him to leave the camp and continue his treatment and recovery.
Ouahbi responded by calling up Strasbourg's Samir Mourabet to cover El Aynaoui's absence, the first change to the squad ahead of the two matches against Niger.
Morocco are pressing on with their preparations at the Mohammed VI Football Complex. The players held a morning session today at 11.30am local time, working on physical, technical and tactical aspects, with a second session to follow at six in the evening.
Another session is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, at the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca from six in the evening. The first 15 minutes will be open to the media from a quarter to six.
The Atlas Lions top Group One in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with six points, beating Gabon 2-0 in the first round and Lesotho by the same score in the second.
Niger sit third on three points.
Mohamed Ouahbi had named a 26-man squad for the third and fourth round clashes with Niger on 13 and 17 November in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The list marked the return of several names and handed a call-up to AZ Alkmaar winger Ayoub Oufkir.
Morocco's squad for the two matches against Niger after the latest change reads as follows:
- Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou, Mounir El Mohammadi, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti, Alaa Belaarouch.
- Defence: Noussair Mazraoui, Anas Salah Eddine, Sofiane El Karouani, Nayef Aguerd, Redouane Halhal, Issa Diop, Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Achraf Hakimi, Ali El Maamari.
- Midfield: Ayoub Bouaddi, Samir Mourabet, Oussama Targhalline, Bilal El Khannouss, Reda Belahyane, Amine Sbai, Abdellah Ouazzane.
- Attack: Brahim Diaz, Jassim Yassine, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Ayoub Oufkir, Yassir Zabiri, Youssef En-Nesyri.
