Morocco will be without star forward Ismael Saibari for their World Cup quarterfinal against France on Thursday in Boston, after he suffered a hamstring injury in the round of 16. Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed the player is not fit to face the French.
Saibari, who recently joined Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven on a five-year contract, has been Morocco's standout performer at the tournament. He scored in all three group matches and converted the decisive penalty in the shootout victory over the Netherlands. He was forced off during the 3-0 win over Canada in the last 16.
Ouahbi, who took charge from Walid Regragui in March, now faces the task of replacing his most potent attacker for the biggest match of the tournament.