Saibari set for Morocco attacking role despite midfield listing, says Ouahbi

Ismael Saibari may have been named among Morocco’s midfielders for the start of the CAN 2027 qualifiers, but head coach Mohamed Ouahbi intends to use the Bayern player much closer to goal.

The 25-year-old has regularly operated in advanced positions and can play either as a number 10 or a centre-forward. His inclusion in the midfield section of Morocco’s squad list prompted questions over whether Ouahbi planned to deploy him deeper.

Asked about the decision at a news conference, Ouahbi initially responded with a joke.

“It may be because there was more room on the attackers’ list,” he said with a smile.

He then explained how he views Saibari’s role. “He is a player who can play as a 10 or a 9. He did very well as a 9 at the World Cup. He also did very well as a 10 against Haiti,” said Ouahbi.

The Morocco manager believes the difference between the two positions is limited within his team’s system.

“Our way of playing means the 10 and 9 positions are almost similar. For us, it is just a detail,” he added.

Saibari is therefore expected to remain in an attacking area, with the freedom to drop deeper or make runs behind the defence depending on the circumstances. That flexibility reflects his growing importance to Morocco, where he has become one of the side’s key attacking players.

His status has also changed significantly in recent months. Saibari won the Dutch championship with PSV Eindhoven before receiving his trophy as the best player in the Netherlands for the 2025-2026 season. He scored 19 goals and provided 9 assists in 37 appearances in all competitions.

He has since joined Bayern and made an impressive start, scoring his first goal for the club in Friday’s 7-0 win over Union Berlin. His progress means he is no longer viewed as merely a squad option for the Lions.

Ouahbi has also reshaped his forward options in Ayoub El Kaabi’s absence, with Yassir Zabiri, Tawfik Bentayeb and Soufiane Rahimi called up as centre-forwards. El Kaabi is expected to be unavailable for several months.

The manager will have to wait before using Saibari in his preferred role, however. The player was suspended following incidents during the final of CAN 2025 and will miss Morocco’s opening CAN 2027 qualifying match against Gabon on Friday.

His suspension was reduced on appeal to one match, meaning he can return against Lesotho in the second round of qualifying. He will then be available for the friendly against Ghana.

Ouahbi has yet to decide how Morocco will approach the final two matches of the sequence. “We have not yet thought about how we are going to play the last two matches, but it will be one of the two positions, that is clear,” he said.

The uncertainty is not about Saibari’s importance, but whether he will operate as a false nine, playmaker or free attacker. His appearance among the midfielders does not indicate a deeper role; Ouahbi’s comments suggest he will be used where his movement and finishing can have the greatest impact.