Two Absent From Morocco’s World Cup Qualifier

Morocco will have to do without experienced midfielder Younes Belhanda for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier in Bamako while striker Aziz Bouhaddouz has been ruled out through injury.

Belhanda is suspended for the group C match because of a caution he picked up in stoppage time at the end of Morocco’s 6-0 thrashing of Mali at home in Rabat on Friday.

It was his second booking of the World Cup qualifying campaign and means an automatic one-match suspension.

Second placed Morocco are two points behind the Ivory Coast in the chase for a place in next year’s final in Russia and need an away win to ensure they keep in touch with the Ivorians.

Germany-based Bouhaddouz also missed out on Friday’s game but Morocco has four other strikers in their squad – Khalid Boutaib, Rachid Allioui, Walid Azaro and Mimoun Mahi.