Morocco coach Walid Regragui confirms Nayef Aguerd is fit for the AFCON match against Mali, while praising young defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal.
RABAT: Morocco coach Walid Regragui (pic) has dismissed reports that defender Nayef Aguerd is injured ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash against Mali.
Regragui confirmed the centre-back is training as usual and has no problems.
He did confirm captain Romain Saiss will miss the game with a muscle injury sustained against Comoros.
Full-back Achraf Hakimi is recovering from an ankle problem and could feature briefly against Mali.
Regragui also heaped praise on 19-year-old defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, calling him “a great talent”.
The coach said he has followed the young player for years and defended his early call-up to the national team.
“We must not burn the player. We’ll use him at the right time,” Regragui said of Ait Boudlal.
The young defender echoed his coach’s confidence ahead of the crucial match.
Ait Boudlal said the team knows the responsibility they carry and aims to deliver a performance that meets fans’ expectations.
Morocco opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over Comoros and will secure qualification with victory over Mali.
Regragui added that the match at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium will be tough against a strong team.
