Nayef Aguerd, the Moroccan centre-back, has officially withdrawn from the Atlas Lions’ World Cup squad, a decision confirmed on 11 June. While concerns arose regarding his fitness, Aguerd has reported significant improvements in his injury and overall physical condition.
Despite this progress, Aguerd feels he is unable to fully contribute to the national team. After discussions with the coaching staff, they collectively determined that he would not be at his best for the World Cup’s opening matches. In a statement on Instagram, Aguerd emphasized the importance of his decision for the team’s objectives.
“It’s not a matter of a fall. On the contrary, I’m feeling better and better day by day and my injury is now behind me,” Aguerd stated. “However, we judged that my current level of performance wasn’t yet sufficient to be able to help the team as I would have liked during the group stage.” He expressed gratitude to the Football Federation President for the support throughout his recovery.
Morocco is set to begin their World Cup campaign on 13 June against Brazil in Group C.