Morocco’s Ziyech Absent From Training Ahead of South Africa Clash

Rabat – Morocco’s star player Hakim Ziyech was absent for the training session on Friday ahead of the highly-anticipated clash between the Atlas Lions and South Africa in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Ziyech’s absence from the training is further consolidating speculations that he will not take part in Morocco’s first match in the Round of 16 due to an injury.

The right winger sustained an ankle injury during Morocco’s encounter with Zambia, where the Atlas Lions emerged victorious with a 1-0 win, and qualified for the Round of 16 at the top of Group F.

Ziyech played a major role in Morocco’s victory against Zambia as he scored the only goal for Morocco in the 38th minute with a close-range shot from a rebound.

However, he was forced off the pitch at half-time due to an ankle injury, minutes after scoring the goal.

Many worry that benching Ziyech in the upcoming game against Bafana Bafana would put the Atlas Lions at a decided disadvantage. Meanwhile, Moroccan football-focused media Koora reported on Thursday that Coach Walid Regragui put the star player under a special training program following his injury.

A report from Koora today explained that following a medical checkup, it was decided to bench the right winger for three training sessions.

The training session, which was opened for the press, was carried out with the presence of team captain Romain Saiss, who was absent from the Zambia match due to an injury sustained while playing for Saudi club Al-Shabab.

Bayern Munich wingback Noussair Mazraoui equally took part in the training session. He has not yet played any matches with the national team in this year’s tournament.