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Moroccan international Ismael Saibari will miss the quarter-final clash against France at the FIFA World Cup, head coach Mohamed Wahbi has confirmed.
“Everyone is available except Saibari,” Wahbi stated ahead of tonight's match in Foxborough, scheduled for 11:00 PM Bulgarian time.
The encounter comes too soon for Saibari, though Wahbi expressed hope that the forward would not be sidelined for the remainder of the tournament.
The new Bayern Munich signing had to be substituted after just 22 minutes in Morocco's 3-0 victory over Canada in the World Cup 2026 Round of 16 on Saturday. Earlier this week, reports suggested the player had only suffered a minor muscle strain, raising hopes for a swift return to action.
Ismael Saibari, who joined Bayern from PSV Eindhoven during the World Cup, has delivered a series of strong performances in the tournament, scoring 3 goals.
Even without Saibari, the Moroccan squad is aiming to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the second consecutive tournament.
“I don't like it when people say our World Cup is already a success,” Mohamed Wahbi declared, adding that conclusions should only be drawn at the championship's end. He further stated that Morocco would do everything possible to defeat France.
“France are the favorites, but we will do our utmost to win. Our team is developing, as is France. The key is to play the match without regrets. There are things we need to improve. We need to play at 2000%,” Wahbi asserted.
Four years ago in Qatar, Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-finals, where they were defeated by France.
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