| Senegal vs Morocco | |
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MATCH INFO |
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MATCH :
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Senegal vs Morocco
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COMPETITION :
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La Liga
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| DATE: |
19 - 01 - 2026
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TIME:
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12.30 AM IST
11.00 PM UAE
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STADIUM
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Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium |
Senegal will be forced into a defensive reshuffle for Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final, as captain Kalidou Koulibaly is suspended after picking up a booking in the semi-final victory over Egypt. The experienced centre-back also missed the 2019 final through suspension, and Mamadou Sarr is expected to step in at the heart of the defence.
The reigning champions are also without Habib Diarra, who is ruled out due to suspension. His absence could see Nicolas Jackson deployed centrally in attack, flanked by Sadio Mane and Iliman Ndiaye, with Ndiaye expected to get the nod ahead of Ismaila Sarr.
Mane has been directly involved in five of Senegal’s 12 goals at the tournament, while Jackson has contributed three, and the attacking trio will be tasked with providing the decisive moments in the final.
Opponents Morocco are also dealing with notable absentees. Azzedine Ounahi has missed the entire knockout phase due to a calf injury and is expected to remain unavailable, while experienced defender Romain Saiss has not featured since sustaining a muscle injury in the tournament opener against Comoros.
As a result, head coach Walid Regragui is likely to persist with Nayef Aguerd and Adam Masina in central defence.
Although Achraf Hakimi has recorded just one goal contribution — which came in the round-of-16 clash against Tanzania — the Paris Saint-Germain defender remains a vital component of Morocco’s attacking structure and has delivered consistently across his three starts.
Further forward, Brahim Diaz had scored in every round prior to the semi-final against Nigeria and, despite drawing a blank in that match, the Real Madrid man remains the host nation’s primary attacking threat.
Up front, Ayoub El Kaabi is expected to lead the line despite not scoring since the group-stage win over Zambia, edging out Youssef En-Nesyri, who converted the decisive penalty against the Super Eagles.