Injuries Continue to Haunt the Atlas Lions

Casablanca – Morocco's preparations for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers have been overshadowed by a growing list of absences, with injuries threatening to deprive Mohamed Ouahbi of several important players. The latest concern emerged on Monday when goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was forced out of Al Hilal's Saudi Pro League clash with Neom after suffering a muscle problem during the warm-up. The extent of the injury remains unclear, leaving Morocco facing an anxious wait as the Atlas Lions are due to begin their qualifying campaign against Gabon and Lesotho later this month. El Kaabi suffers major setback Bounou's injury comes days after another major blow for Morocco, with Ayoub El Kaabi facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Olympiacos striker suffered a fracture to his left leg during a league match against Volos and subsequently underwent successful surgery in Athens. El Kaabi is expected to spend between six and seven months recovering, ruling him out of Morocco's upcoming qualifiers and potentially keeping him sidelined for a significant portion of the season. His absence represents a particularly important loss for Ouahbi, given the striker's goalscoring record and role within the national team. More attacking options unavailable Abdessamad Ezzalzouli is also expected to miss the upcoming fixtures after failing to regain full fitness. The Real Betis winger has been dealing with an injury setback, further reducing Ouahbi's options in attack as he prepares to name his squad. Meanwhile, midfielder Ismael Saibari will miss the matches for a different reason. The Bayern Munich player, along with captain Achraf Hakimi, is suspended following disciplinary sanctions stemming from the incidents surrounding the recent AFCON final against Senegal. Defensive concerns pile up Morocco's defensive options have also taken a hit. Youssef Belammari and Chadi Riad are both unavailable because of injuries, while experienced defender Marouane Saadane is also among the players ruled out. The growing list leaves Ouahbi with several positions to reshuffle. Ouahbi faces selection test The accumulation of injuries comes at an inconvenient time for the new Morocco coach, who will announce his final squad on September 17. The Atlas Lions will host Gabon on September 25 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat before traveling to South Africa four days later to face Lesotho at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. For a Morocco side looking to maintain momentum on the road to the 2027 AFCON , the injury list has already made the coach's competitive assignment considerably more complicated. Tags: 2027 AFCON QualifiersAtlas LionsMohamed Ouahbi