Published On 11/6/2026
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Last update: 17:12 (Mecca time)
The Moroccan national team is counting on the duo Marwan Saadane and Amine Sibai to compensate for the sudden and shocking absence of their compatriots Naif Akrad, Olympique Marseille player, and Abdel Samad Zalzouli, Real Betis star, from the 2026 World Cup finals.
It was officially confirmed that Akrad and Al-Zalzouli were absent from the Atlas Lions at the World Cup due to injury, after their names were removed from the official list approved by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), which in turn approved the names of Saadane and Al-Sebai.
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Saadane and Al-Sibai replaced Al-Zalzouli and Akrad
According to the Moroccan newspaper Al-Mukhtab, national coach Mohamed Wehbe has settled on choosing Al-Sibai to replace Al-Zalzouli, while Saadane will replace Akrad.
The 25-year-old Sibai, who occupies the left wing position, played last season for the French club Angers.
Al-Sibai participated with Angers in 27 matches in all tournaments, during which he scored 4 goals and provided one assist in 2014 minutes, according to data from the famous “Transfer Market” website.
Al-Sibai had moved to Angers in the summer of 2025 in a free transfer deal, as he was not linked to any team at that time after the expiration of his contract with his former team, Al-Fateh Al-Saudi.
At the international level, Al-Sabai is one of the new faces on the Moroccan national team, as coach Wehbe called him up to play two friendly matches recently.
Al-Sebai participated in the two matches against Burundi (5-0) and Madagascar (4-0) on May 26 and June 2, respectively, and in the first he provided two assists, while he sat on the bench against Norway in the friendly match that was held last Sunday and ended in a 1-1 draw.
As for Saadane (34 years old), he previously wore the Moroccan national team shirt for the first time in 2015 during the era of national coach Badou Zaki, but he did not participate regularly with the “Atlas Lions.”
Since that year, Saadane has appeared in only 17 matches, most of which were in the 2025 Arab Cup, which was held in Doha and won the “Atlas Lions” title, in addition to some friendly matches and two in the African Cup of Nations for local players in 2016.
Last season, Saadane, who plays as a center back, appeared with his Saudi Al-Fateh team in 32 matches in all tournaments, during which he scored one goal.
Morocco and Brazil match
The World Cup draw placed the Moroccan team in the third group, alongside record holder Brazil (5), Haiti and Scotland.
The Moroccan national team, the fourth of the last edition, will cut the tape of its matches in the 2026 World Cup with an expected confrontation against Brazil next Sunday at 1:00 am Mecca and Doha time.
