Morocco’s futsal side has been dealt an unwelcome blow just a day before a pivotal continental fixture. International Sofiane Chakrouni will not take to the court on Friday against Libya at the 2026 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations, being hosted on Moroccan soil.
Chakrouni picked up the injury during Wednesday’s match against Zambia, a contest the Moroccan side went on to win. Preliminary medical tests carried out shortly after the final whistle confirmed that the player would be unavailable for selection against the Libyans, leaving the coaching staff without a man who has become a reliable fixture in Morocco’s rotation.
Exactly how long Chakrouni will be sidelined remains unclear. He is due to undergo more detailed scans on Saturday, results that should clarify both the precise nature of the injury and how it is healing, before any call is made on whether he can feature again before the tournament wraps up. For now, the technical staff must plan without knowing when, or whether, their player will return to action during this edition of the competition.
The timing could hardly be worse. Morocco arrive at this Futsal Africa Cup of Nations as reigning champions, chasing what would be a fourth consecutive continental crown, and the home side’s opening victory over Zambia had set an encouraging tone. Losing a key piece of the squad, even for one match, forces the coaching staff to dig into squad depth at a stage of the competition when every fixture carries weight, and rival sides will be only too aware of the opportunity an opponent’s absentee list can create.
Chakrouni’s situation is also a reminder of how unforgiving a packed tournament schedule can be on players’ bodies, with matches coming thick and fast and little time for recovery between fixtures. For the Moroccan federation, the priority now shifts to managing the rest of the competition without letting one absence disrupt the collective momentum the team has built heading into the knockout stages.
Saturday’s examination should bring clearer answers on Chakrouni’s prognosis, and on his prospects of featuring again before Morocco’s bid to retain the continental futsal title is settled one way or another.
