Morocco's World Cup Hopes Dented as Star Midfielder Saibari ruled Out

The single sharpest fact is that Morocco's World Cup hopes have taken a major hit with star midfielder Ismael Saibari ruled out of the quarter-final match against France due to a hamstring injury.

Morocco's star midfielder Ismael Saibari has been ruled out of the team's crucial World Cup quarter-final against France due to a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old midfielder has been one of the standout players for the Atlas Lions this tournament, scoring in all three group games and converting the winning penalty in the shoot-out victory over the Netherlands in the last 32.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed Saibari's absence on Wednesday while insisting the rest of his players are fully ready for the last-eight tie at Gillette Stadium near Boston. "Everyone is 100 percent fit except Saibari," he told reporters. The attacking midfielder had lit up the tournament, scoring in all three group games and converting the winning penalty in the shoot-out victory over the Netherlands in the last 32.

Saibari, who sealed a five-year move to Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven for a reported 50 million euros ($57 million), was forced off early during the 3-0 last-16 win against Canada last Saturday and has not recovered in time. Soufiane Rahimi, an out-and-out striker, came on in his place and scored Morocco's third goal that day.

The Atlas Lions are determined to avenge the 2-0 defeat they suffered against France in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, when they became the first African or Arab team to reach the last four. Ouahbi dismissed any suggestion that reaching the quarter-finals already represents success for his team. "We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow, so we will not listen to people who say it doesn’t matter if we go out now," he said.

The Atlas Lions are determined to avenge the 2-0 defeat they suffered against France in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals. They are the first African or Arab team to reach the last four, and their coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, believes they can still make history by advancing past the last eight.

Ouahbi dismissed any suggestion that reaching the quarter-finals already represents success for his team. "We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow, so we will not listen to people who say it doesn’t matter if we go out now," he said. Ouahbi took over from Walid Regragui in March and sees the team's progress as a chance to make history.

Saibari's Move to Bayern Munich

Ismael Saibari's move to Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven for a reported 50 million euros ($57 million) has been a major boost for the Atlas Lions. The 27-year-old midfielder has scored in all three group games and converted the winning penalty in the shoot-out victory over the Netherlands in the last 32.

But Saibari's hamstring injury has ruled him out of the quarter-final match against France. The Atlas Lions are still hopeful that they can advance past the last eight and make history by becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals.

Morocco's Hopes of Making History

Morocco's hopes of making history by advancing past the last eight are still alive, despite Saibari's injury. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi believes the team can still achieve their goal, and the Atlas Lions are determined to avenge the 2-0 defeat they suffered against France in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.

"We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow, so we will not listen to people who say it doesn’t matter if we go out now," Ouahbi said. Morocco's coach is determined to make history with the Atlas Lions, and the team is still hopeful of advancing past the last eight and reaching the semi-finals.

The Atlas Lions are facing a tough test against France in the quarter-finals, but they are still hopeful of making history. Morocco's coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, believes the team can still achieve their goal of advancing past the last eight and becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals.

Saibari, who secured his move to Bayern Munich for a reported 50 million euros ($57 million), was forced off early during the 3-0 last-16 win against Canada last Saturday and has not recovered in time. His injury has been a major blow to the Atlas Lions, but the team is still hopeful that they can advance past the last eight and make history.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz believes Morocco can compete with the highly fancied French side when he comes up against his club colleague Kylian Mbappe. The Atlas Lions are facing a tough test against France in the quarter-finals, but they are still hopeful of making history and becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals.

Morocco's Road to the Quarter-Finals

Morocco's road to the quarter-finals was marked by a thrilling 2-0 win over Spain in the round of 16. The Atlas Lions then defeated Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals, with Aboubakr El Attia scoring the winning goal in the 77th minute.

Morocco's success in the World Cup has been a major boost for the team and the country. The Atlas Lions are now facing a tough test against France in the quarter-finals, but they are still hopeful of making history and becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi believes the team can still achieve their goal of advancing past the last eight. "We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow, so we will not listen to people who say it doesn’t matter if we go out now," he said. Morocco's coach is determined to make history with the Atlas Lions, and the team is still hopeful of advancing past the last eight and reaching the semi-finals.

The Atlas Lions are facing a tough test against France in the quarter-finals, but they are still hopeful of making history and becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals.

The single sharpest fact in this story is that Morocco's star midfielder Ismael Saibari has been ruled out of the quarter-final match against France due to a hamstring injury. The Atlas Lions are still hopeful of making history by advancing past the last eight and becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals.

Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed Saibari's absence on Wednesday while insisting the rest of his players are fully ready for the last-eight tie at Gillette Stadium near Boston. "Everyone is 100 percent fit except Saibari," he told reporters. The attacking midfielder had lit up the tournament, scoring in all three group games and converting the winning penalty in the shoot-out victory over the Netherlands in the last 32.

Saibari, who sealed a five-year move to Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven for a reported 50 million euros ($57 million), was forced off early during the 3-0 last-16 win against Canada last Saturday and has not recovered in time. Soufiane Rahimi, an out-and-out striker, came on in his place and scored Morocco's third goal that day.

Brahim Diaz, a Real Madrid forward, believes Morocco can compete with the highly fancied French side when he comes up against his club colleague Kylian Mbappe.

Morocco is determined to avenge the 2-0 defeat they suffered against France in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals. Ouahbi dismissed any suggestion that reaching the quarter-finals already represents success for his team. "We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow, so we will not listen to people who say it doesn’t matter if we go out now," he said. Ouahbi took over from Walid Regragui in March and sees the team's progress as a chance to make history.

Morocco's hopes of making history by advancing past the last eight are still alive, despite Saibari's injury. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi believes the team can still achieve their goal, and the Atlas Lions are determined to avenge the 2-0 defeat they suffered against France in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.

Key Details

• Morocco's star midfielder Ismael Saibari has been ruled out of the quarter-final match against France due to a hamstring injury.
• The Atlas Lions have been one of the standout teams in the tournament, winning all three group games and defeating the Netherlands in the last 32.
• Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed Saibari's absence on Wednesday while insisting the rest of his players are fully ready for the last-eight tie at Gillette Stadium near Boston.
• Saibari sealed a five-year move to Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven for a reported 50 million euros ($57 million) last year.
• Morocco is determined to avenge the 2-0 defeat they suffered against France in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.

The Atlas Lions are facing a tough test against France in the quarter-finals, but they are still hopeful of making history and becoming the first African or Arab team to reach the semi-finals. Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi believes the team can still achieve their goal and has confidence in his players.

Brahim Diaz, a Real Madrid forward, believes Morocco has the quality and the potential to match France and has some great players who can compete with the best teams in the world. Diaz's comments come as Morocco prepare to face France in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi was asked about his team's chances in an interview on Wednesday and replied: "We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow, so we will not listen to people who say it doesn’t matter if we go out now".