World Cup Quarterfinal Approaching: Morocco Striker Sebari Ruled Out Against France with Hamstring Injury

Morocco's national team has received unfortunate news. Head coach Walid Regragui confirmed on Wednesday that the team's key striker, Sofiane Sebari, will miss the World Cup quarterfinal against France on Thursday due to a hamstring injury.

In last Saturday's round-of-16 match where Morocco defeated Canada 3-0, Sebari was substituted just 22 minutes into the game due to physical discomfort. He underwent a medical assessment for the hamstring injury, and an MRI scan in Boston on Monday showed that the strain was not severe, but the recovery time was not enough for him to be ready for this crucial clash.

"Apart from Sebari, all other players are available. This match came too soon for him," Regragui said during the pre-match press conference. "But I hope he will not miss the rest of the tournament. We will only field players who are 100 percent fit."

Sebari has been the most outstanding player in the Morocco squad at this World Cup. During the group stage, he scored the opening goal against Brazil, the winner against Scotland, and the equalizer against Haiti. In the round-of-32 penalty shootout against the Netherlands, he converted a crucial spot kick. The 25-year-old forward, who has spent his entire professional career at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, transferred to Bayern Munich for €50 million on July 1, making him the second most expensive Moroccan player after Achraf Hakimi.

Rahimi, who replaced Sebari against Canada, is highly likely to lead the front line against France. But Regragui emphasized the importance of the team's collective effort: "To go far in a major tournament, you need everyone. Substitute players know they have the opportunity to make an impact, which is a positive factor for the whole team and gives us great confidence."

Defender Riad missed the match against Canada due to an undisclosed injury, and his replacement Harhar did not perform satisfactorily. Now Riad has recovered and is expected to return to face France. Notably, Morocco's last encounter with France was in the 2022 Qatar World Cup semifinal, when the African team reached the final four for the first time but lost to their opponents.