Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Dec 25 (Reuters) - Morocco coach Walid Regragui has dismissed reports that defender Nayef Aguerd is injured, saying the centre back was fit and ready for Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash against Mali.
"Who told you Aguerd is injured? He’s training as usual and has no problems," Regragui told reporters.
Regragui confirmed captain Romain Saiss will miss the game with a muscle injury sustained against Comoros in their tournament opener, while full back Achraf Hakimi, recently crowned African Player of the Year, is recovering from an ankle problem sustained with Paris St Germain last month and could feature briefly. "Hakimi is doing well and we’ll make the best decision for him," Regragui said.
The coach also heaped praise on 19-year-old defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, calling him "a great talent".
"I’ve been following him for years. I called him up a year and a half ago when he was a substitute at Rennes and people criticized me. Today everyone is praising him – that shows our vision is long-term," Regragui said. "We must not burn the player. We’ll use him at the right time. We’ll see if he starts tomorrow or comes in later."
Ait Boudlal echoed his coach's confidence.
"We know the responsibility we carry. Every game is tough and requires full concentration. We listen carefully to the coach’s instructions and aim to deliver a performance that meets fans’ expectations," he said.
Morocco opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over Comoros and will secure qualification with victory over Mali at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
"It will be a tough match against a strong team," Regragui added.
(Reporting Ashraf Hamed Atta, editing by Ed Osmond)
