Tuesday, December 6, 2022. They ran in all directions, threw themselves into each other’s arms to celebrate their entry into a new world, that of the eight best nations on the football planet. But if happiness sometimes masks pain, several players from the national team ended the match on their kneecaps, while others finished it on the bench.
“We need freshness” had aptly announced coach Walid Regragui, in the post-match conference. The day after Morocco’s first qualification for the quarter-finals of a World Cup, the heroes of an entire nation had a well-deserved day off, which allowed them to spending time with family and recharging the batteries.
First African coach to reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup, Walid Regragui has relied on the same starting XI since the start of the competition, except for the replacement of Yassine Bounou by Munir El Kajoui against Belgium and that of Selim Amallah by Abdelhamid Sabiri against Canada.
Due to the lack of turnover, logically, the bodies begin to creak and small wounds like big ones keep piling up. A few minutes before the end of regulation time for the match against Spain, nayef Aguerd, author of a world-class performance, had to leave his place.
A defense to restore
Hit in the thigh, the central defender left the stadium of the City of Education limping. According to the indiscretions of the newspaper L’Equipe, “Aguerd’s injury doesn’t seem too serious. But he will not be 100% against Portugal”. same for me Achrafi Hakimi who has been suffering from hamstring pain since the group stage.
The captain of the national team, Romain Saïss, was reassuring as he finished the match against La Roja with a bandaged thigh. “If I finished the game, it should be fine. We are going to grit our teeth anyway, we have no choice” he explained.
If we add the discomfort at the hip of Noussair Mazraoui which prevents him from holding 90′, the entire Moroccan defense is affected by injuries to varying degrees. However, from the state of form of the Hakimi-Aguerd-Saïss-Mazraoui quartet, Morocco’s chances of beating Portugal depend on it. The defense being the strong point of the national team.
Ounahi and Amrabat also affected
In the midfield, the indestructible Sofyan Amrabat suffered from back pain in the hours and night leading up to the round of 16. With unfeigned emotion, the defensive midfielder expressed concern in a post-match interview, not knowing if he was going to have the possibility of ensuring his role on the ground.
“I didn’t know if I could play this match. The night before the game against Spain, I stayed up until three in the morning with the physio” he said. “I received an infiltration before the match to calm the pain because I couldn’t abandon the guys and my country”.
It was good for him, because without him, the chances of Moroccan qualification would have been much slimmer, as he was omnipresent on the ground, covering 14.66 km. The medical staff provide him with care so that he can be in condition to repeat his monstrous performance against Portugal.
The condition of Sofyan Amrabat’s back is more concerning than that of the ankle of the revelation of the round of 16. Azzedine Ounahi was also in the oven and the mill against La Roja, to the point of arousing the admiration of the now former Spanish coach, Luis Enrique. The native of Casablanca still traveled 14,71 km, record you match, despite a weak ankle.
Therefore, a big doubt remains about his tenure, this Saturday, December 10, like that of all the injured players of the national team. According to Walid Regragui, a decision will be made at the last minute regarding their participation.
Finally, the state of form of Judge Ziyech also raises questions. The attacking midfielder has already played more minutes in two weeks at the 2022 World Cup (376′) than in three months with Chelsea (271′) in the championship. Will he sustain this hellish pace? To find out for sure, see you next Saturday against Portugal.