Injury Shock Hits Morocco: Key Defenders Hobbled Ahead of AFCON

Injury Shock Hits Morocco's Camp

In just five days, the Moroccan squad received bad news from France after Marseille announced Nayef Aguerd's groin injury, forcing him to leave the Brest game in obvious pain.

Following the development, coach Walid Regragui explained the nature and seriousness of the injury and weighed its potential impact on his AFCON plans.

This is the second major blow for a Moroccan leader in Europe, coming after Ashraf Hakimi’s injury with Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich, which medical tests indicated would sideline him for about a month.

The setback prompted Regragui to call up Rennes’ (19-year-old) Abdelhamid Ait Bouddal to cover, triggering an urgent mobilization within the technical staff who contacted the player to check his condition and map out a contingency plan.

Aguerd’s scare for Regragui

Upon learning of the injury, Regragui quickly reached out to Aguerd, who left the field in distress, to confirm the groin issue and await his club’s medical report to determine the expected absence period.

Aguerd had recently helped his club secure a move from West Ham United for around €23 million, earning a starting berth and the captain’s armband at Marseille—a notable feat for a newcomer.

As he shone by scoring the decisive winner in the classical clash against PSG, Aguerd’s form had become a symbol of the Black Eagles’ resilience, context now overshadowed by the injury scare.

Coach Regragui reaffirmed after the Marseille-Brest match that Aguerd would need a rest period to prevent worsening and to safeguard his presence at AFCON in Morocco.

Sources cited by KOOORA indicate that Regragui’s outreach extended beyond Aguerd to Mehdi Benatia’s role as sporting director to clarify the extent of the injury and the possibility of his absence from the tournament.

Two Blows to the Head

With the twin problems of Hakimi and Aguerd, the goalkeeper’s options and the backbone of the defense have become the focal point of Regragui’s concerns. The leadership pair, both veterans of the Qatar World Cup, are not easily replaceable, and a perfect like-for-like replacement is not guaranteed, potentially affecting Morocco’s balance just one month before AFCON.

Beside Hakimi and Aguerd, Regragui’s careful strategy included summoning Abdelhamid Ait Bouddal from the youth setup to join the senior squad for the upcoming training camp in Rabat, as the medical team in France liaised to ensure readiness for the CAN.

Where the Defence Stands

Among all positions, defense is Morocco’s weakest link, and Regragui has yet to discover a reliable solution since Qatar’s World Cup. The camp has fielded 12 players across various leagues, but a stable trio—Romain Saiss, Nayef Aguerd, and Joao? Youm?—has yet to be settled; captaincy and leadership have been shared with veteran Saiss returning to camp to shore up the back line given the injuries and limited options available for the role.

Even with a broad pool of options, replacing Aguerd in central defense remains a challenge, which is why the coach insisted on keeping the Rennes call-up close to the main squad and aligning his rehabilitation with Hakimi’s treatment in France to ready both players for AFCON.

CAPTION: Morocco’s defense under pressure as injuries mount ahead of AFCON.

In the weeks ahead, the team will weigh whether to rush players back or to field a recalibrated backline with the aim of keeping AFCON ambitions intact.

Humor break: If injuries were a sport, Morocco would lead the league in bench time. Punchline 1: The medical staff must be doing cardio just to keep up with all the Achilles’ heels. Punchline 2: At this rate, their slogan will be 'We rotate, we still win... with a lot of physio bills.'