Mohamed Ouahbi confronted with a massacre in defense

Barely installed after the departure of Walid Regragui, Mohamed Ouahbi is facing his first medical setbacks. Nayef Aguerd, a pillar of Olympique de Marseille, is uncertain for the friendly matches against Ecuador and Paraguay due to recurring groin pains. At the same time, the withdrawal of Jawad El Yamiq is confirmed; the defender of Real Zaragoza is suffering from a muscle tear requiring four weeks of rest.

To make up for these absences, the Moroccan technician intends to rely on players at the peak of their abilities. Chadi Riad, who has regained a starting position at Crystal Palace, and the young Aït Boudlal appear as natural solutions to stabilize the Moroccan defense during the next international break.

The gathering could also mark the integration of new faces. Ismaël Baouf, U20 world champion and revelation of SC Cambuur in the Netherlands, is expected to honor his first call-up. "Ouahbi is not lacking in options," it is pointed out in the entourage of the selection, while the door also remains open to a return of Abdelkabir Abqar, a regular with Getafe in Spain.

This first list will be closely scrutinized as Mohamed Ouahbi has stated that he wants to inscribe his strategy "in the continuity of the work accomplished by Regragui". Despite the physical setbacks, the objective remains to test the depth of the national reservoir before the official deadlines, by offering a chance to the emerging talents to prove their worth on the green rectangle.