The vacancy in the left-back position of the Moroccan national football team presents the possibility of Adam Masina, the Torino player, returning to the ranks of the Atlas Lions.
Masina has struggled with recurring injuries, sidelining him from the national team since 2021 when he participated in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon under former coach Vahid Halilhodžić.
His return to the field could offer him a fresh opportunity to don the Moroccan national jersey, having started in the last five matches with Torino.
The left-back position in the national team has often faced criticism for the absence of a dominant player.
While Yahya Atiya moved to the Russian club Sochi locally, Nassir Mazraoui played out of position with the national team.
In the last Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast, national coach Walid Rakraki opted to utilize players from the right-back position to fill the gap in the left-back position.
Mohamed El-Shibani of Egypt’s Pyramids FC played as a left-back against Tanzania and Congo, and Nasser Mazraoui of Bayern Munich played in the round of 16 against South Africa.
Meanwhile, Atiya played in his original position in a single match against Zambia.
In previous experiments, some players failed to assert themselves to gain Rakraki’s trust or that of his predecessor.
Opportunities were given to Fahd Mowafi, the current player of Hajduk Split in Croatia, and Soufyan El Karouani, who currently plays for FC Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Rakraki is expected to test new players in the upcoming period, as he seeks to form a formidable lineup before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco.
Moroccans are eager for victory after continuous disappointments in the tournament, having failed to secure the title since 1976 and missing the podium since 2004.
The Moroccan national team is scheduled to face Angola on Friday, March 22, at the Grand Stadium in Agadir, and Mauritania at the same venue on Tuesday, March 26, as part of their preparations for the upcoming competitions, including the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
