On the eve of the start of the World Cup, the Moroccan football team was without two starters due to injuries, Marseille stopper Nayef Aguerd and Betis left winger Abde Ezzalzouli.
Instead of them, the defender of Saudi Al-Fateh was included in the list of representatives for the World Cup Marwan Saadan and striker of French Angers Amine Sbai.
Saadane and Sbai are in the USA and training with the rest of the national team. Saadane came on in the second half of Sunday’s friendly against Norway, which ended 1-1.
Aguerd and Ezzalzouli played for Morocco at the last World Cup in Qatar, where they achieved historic success winning fourth place. In the match for bronze, Morocco lost to Croatia 1-2.
Also, both were in the squad that played in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
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Ezzalzouli injured his right knee in a friendly against Norway when he collided with a representative teammatewhile Aguerd has been sidelined since March.
First he had groin surgery, and then he broke his pubic bone. Coach Mohamed Ouahabi had hoped that both would recover in time, but on Thursday he had to face reality, and instead of Aguerdo and Ezzalzouli, he included Saadane and Sbai in the national team list.
In the first match of the World Cup on Saturday, June 13, at the New York/New Jersey stadium, Morocco will play against the five-time world champions Brazil. After that, duels with Scotland and Haiti await them.
(China | Photo: TFT/X)
