Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui faces an anxious wait to determine his availability for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations amidst a thigh injury. National team boss Walid Regragui plans to select Mazraoui regardless, mirroring Nabil Dirar’s inclusion in the 2018 World Cup squad whilst still recovering.
Currently sidelined since early December, Bayern Munich’s diagnosis indicates a six-week absence for their right-back. With AFCON 2023 kicking off on January 13th, Mazraoui seemingly cannot participate from the outset.
Nevertheless, Regragui opted to name the 25-year-old in his provisional Atlas Lions selection. Reports suggest Morocco’s coach intends travelling Mazraoui to Ivory Coast in the hope he regains fitness during the tournament.
It replicates the approach in 2018 when Dirar proved his fitness in time to feature from Morocco’s second World Cup group match onwards in Russia. Regragui will be hopeful of similar fortune with influential Mazraoui.
Securing Bayern’s green light may prove problematic, however, as they anticipate an return to action for Mazraoui with them afterwards.
Thursday’s squad announcement is expected to confirm if Regragui successfully convinces the German champions to release Mazraoui for assessment by Morocco.
The defender’s versatility and technical qualities would provide a significant boost to Morocco’s trophy ambitions at AFCON.
With the Atlas Lions grouped alongside Tanzania, DR Congo and Zambia, realistically progressing to knock-out stages without Mazraoui should not prove troublesome.
But regaining the foul-mouthed right-back for the business end of the tournament could aid hopes of celebrating just their second continental title after 1976.
