AFCON 2023: Morocco Dealt Early Scare as Versatile Defender Suffers Injury

• Morocco are one of the favourites for the 2023 AFCON tourney in Ivory Coast
• The Atlas Lions recently reached the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
• Walid Regragui’s side have been dealt a huge blow ahead of the tournament

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set to take centre stage on the African continent in the early parts of 2024.

Ivory Coast is set to host the continent in what will be the 34th edition of the biennial football tournament.

Among the top contenders to win the competition are the host nation, Nigeria's Super Eagles, and Africa’s highest-ranked team by FIFA, Morocco.

The Moroccan national team have been enjoying a remarkable run under the management of Walid Regragui, who assumed leadership shortly before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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The 48-year-old coach guided his team to significant achievements, including the historic feat of being the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final, as reported by Sky Sports.

However, as the competition to crown the best footballing nation in Africa approaches in January, the Atlas Lions are facing a significant setback, with a key defender suffering an injury.

Morocco dealt AFCON blow

Versatile full-back, Noussair Mazraoui suffered a calf injury during Bayern Munich's UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United.

According to @iMiaSanMia, he is anticipated to be absent for the remainder of the Bavarian club’s fixtures in 2023 and could face a recovery period of 4-6 weeks.

However, the report highlights that the former Ajax man has yet to rule out the possibility of participating in the African Cup of Nations despite the chances diminishing each day due to the severity of his injury.

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While the defender is in a race against time to regain fitness, coach Regragui is confronted with the challenging task of identifying an appropriate replacement for a key Moroccan figure.

Morocco’s Bounou joins Al Hilal

Sports Brief also previously reported that Morocco goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou has completed his move to Saudi Arabian giants, Al-Hilal from Spanish outfit, Sevilla in the summer transfer window.

He signed a three-year deal to move to the Gulf state after a successful career in Europe, making his last appearance for the Spanish side during their European Super Cup final loss to Manchester City.