Morocco’s World Cup Qualifiers: Key Players Mazraoui and Richardson Absent from Training

The coach of the Moroccan national team, Walid Regragui, has planned two training sessions per day until Thursday for the Atlas Lions who face the Zambian Chipolopolos this Friday at the Grand Stadium of Agadir. The absence of Noussair Mazraoui, the right-back of Bayern Munich, and Amir Richardson, the midfielder of Stade de Reims, was noticed during Tuesday’s training sessions, raising questions.

According to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the two players missed these sessions for personal reasons. Mazraoui and Richardson would have deserted the gathering in Rabat since last Thursday. According to the latest news, the Bayern Munich right-back would be in Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj.

Mazraoui and Richardson should no longer feature in the starting lineup for Friday’s match against Zambia, nor for the clash against Congo scheduled for June 11 in Kinshasa, according to media sources, specifying that the two Atlas Lions have obtained the agreement of Walid Regragui. The Moroccan coach will undoubtedly explain these absences during the pre-match press conference he will host on Thursday in the Grand Stadium of Agadir.

After the match this Friday against Zambia, Hakim Ziyech and his teammates will cross crampons with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, June 11 in Kinshasa, as part of the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers organized jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.