Morocco's Double Blow: Aguerd and Ez Abde Cut From Squad

Morocco's national team has been hit by two critical losses just days before its 2026 World Cup opening match. The Moroccan Football Federation updated FIFA's official list, announcing that Olympique Marseille centre-back Nayef Aguerd and Real Betis left winger Abdessamad "Ez Abde" Ezzalzouli have been removed from the World Cup squad. The changes were approved by FIFA on June 10, 2026. Replacing Aguerd is 34-year-old Al-Fateh defender Marwane Saâdane, while 21-year-old Angers left winger Amine Sbaï has been called up in place of Ez Abde.

The duo were names expected to play central roles in the attacking and defensive planning of Mohamed Ouahbi's Atlas Lions. Aguerd was one of the key pillars of the generation that carried Morocco to the semi-finals at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Ez Abde would have given depth to the team on the left flank with his pace and one-on-one ability. These losses have seriously disrupted the technical staff's plans ahead of the Group C opening match against Brazil.

Aguerd's condition was a race against time in recent weeks. The 33-year-old Moroccan centre-back underwent surgery in March 2026 due to chronic groin pain and has been on the sidelines since. He spent the final weeks of the season at Marseille without even training. In April, advanced examinations by the Marseille medical team detected a fracture of the player's pubic bone and a mild bone inflammation. This required additional medical intervention. The federation and the player himself maintained hope of making the World Cup until the last moment, but the physical readiness to handle training intensity could not be reached. Ouahbi had openly stated in early June in the capital Rabat that they would not take risks regarding the player's condition.

Ez Abde's injury is more recent. The 24-year-old Real Betis player sprained his right knee in stoppage time of the first half in Morocco's last warm-up match against Norway in New Jersey, which ended 1-1. Medical tests revealed that the player had sustained an injury serious enough to prevent him from playing throughout the tournament, and the federation took its decision quickly. Sbaï was already training with the team at the camp and had featured in the Norway match; similarly, Saâdane had completed his squad integration process early.

On Ouahbi's table, names that can be used in defence in place of Aguerd are limited. Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui is at right-back; Achraf Hakimi also at right-back, with veteran centre-back Romain Saiss standing out. As reserve centre-back, Saâdane will not be a leading character in playing time but will complement the team with squad-depth strength. The new 26-man squad lacks depth at this position; the main centre-back rotation will rest on Saiss and Jawad El Yamiq's shoulders.

In the attack, Ez Abde's loss is also a blow. With his pace and one-on-one quality on the left wing, he was one of the key names in the Atlas Lions' transition game. Although Sbaï is still seen as a new name in Ligue 1, his performance at Angers seems to have been the convincing measure for Ouahbi.

Morocco will compete in Group C with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti. The opening match will be played against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday, June 13. The match will start at 19:00 local time (ET), 02:00 Turkey time (June 14). The absence of Aguerd and Ez Abde stands out as the main factor that will put Morocco tactically in a tight spot against Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil.

Image: espn.com