Injury to Achraf Hakimi is causing significant concern among Moroccan fans, as he is one of four African leaders facing health issues before the start of the World Cup, putting their teams in a difficult position.
As the World Cup approaches, fears are growing within several participating African teams, especially after the captain of the Ivory Coast national team, Franck Kessié, joined the list of stars affected by injury woes.
Alongside Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, both Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly and Egyptian Mohamed Salah are suffering from various injuries, raising questions about their readiness for this major sporting event.
Franck Kessié, the midfielder for Saudi club Al-Ahli, was injured during his team’s match against Al-Fateh in the Saudi league, forcing him to leave the field after only 32 minutes.
Although there has been no official statement from the club detailing the nature of his injury, his absence from his team’s match in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup has heightened concerns within the “Ivory Coast Elephants” camp, especially since Kessié is considered one of the Ivorian national team’s key players, having participated in 99 international matches.
Similarly, the Senegalese team faces major worries about the physical condition of their captain Kalidou Koulibaly, the defender for Al Hilal Saudi Club, who has been out of action since last April due to a thigh injury.
Italian coach Simone Inzaghi confirmed that Koulibaly is suffering from a severe contusion, putting his participation in the World Cup in doubt.
Meanwhile, the Moroccan team is closely monitoring the progress of their captain Achraf Hakimi’s injury, who suffered a thigh muscle issue during Paris Saint-Germain’s match against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Although Hakimi also faced physical problems during the last Africa Cup of Nations, he managed to regain fitness and participate with the Atlas Lions in critical stages, which offers some optimism to Moroccan fans about his potential participation in the World Cup.
As for the Egyptian team, they experienced moments of worry after the injury of their star and captain Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s match against Crystal Palace. However, recent reports have confirmed his imminent return to the field, as he is expected to appear again with his English club in the coming days.
African teams eagerly await updates on the health status of their star players, particularly as the continued injuries to Hakimi and other leaders could significantly impact these teams’ ambitions in the upcoming global tournament.
