As the decisive World Cup qualifiers approach next month, the focus of fans of the national team turns to the defense, a concern for the coaching staff led by Walid Regragui. The defensive performance will be key to the Atlas Lions’ chances of qualification, especially given the injuries and instability of some players.
Regragui has been closely monitoring the status of defenders Roman Saïss, currently at Al Sadd in Qatar, and Chadi Riad of Crystal Palace, hoping they can regain their fitness after lengthy absences due to injury. However, things haven’t gone as hoped, with Riad missing his team’s recent match against Liverpool in the Community Shield, while Saïss was only a spectator during the final of the Arab Cup between Al Sadd and Wydad.
The defensive situation is further complicated by Jawad Yamiq remaining without a team since the end of his contract with Al Wahda, and Yunus Abdelhamid aging, along with the uncertainty surrounding Nayef Aguerd’s future with West Ham United.
These circumstances necessitate that Regragui urgently seeks solutions to secure the backline before entering the decisive matches next month.
