Rabat – Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has confirmed that Nayef Aguerd will miss tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations 2027 (AFCON) qualifier against Lesotho after remaining in Morocco to continue his rehabilitation.
Ouahbi’s confirmation follows a report by Moroccan sports outlet Almountakhab on Sunday, which said the 29-year-old defender would not travel with the Atlas Lions to South Africa as part of a gradual return-to-fitness plan following recent surgery.
“We have only one absence today, which is Aguerd, whom we preferred to continue his rehabilitation program. At one point, he did not travel with us. Apart from that, as of today, we have no other absences,” Ouahbi said during his pre-match press conference on Monday.
The Morocco coach added that the rest of the squad trained on Sunday and remains available for the second AFCON 2027 qualifying fixture.
“Everyone trained yesterday, so everyone can be available. Of course, we still have a training session today, and we will see what comes out of it, but we have many options to choose from,” Ouahbi added.
Aguerd remained at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Sale while Morocco travelled to South Africa, where the team has been preparing for the clash with Lesotho.
The defender’s absence comes after Morocco began their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Gabon in Rabat, with Noussair Mazraoui and Soufiane Rahimi firing Morocco to victory.
Tuesday’s fixture will also mark the return of captain Achraf Hakimi and Bayern Munich midfielder Ismael Saibari, who missed the opening match through suspension.
Morocco will face Lesotho at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday at 1 p.m. GMT, with Ouahbi’s side looking to make it two wins from two in the qualifying campaign.
