Morocco could be without Soufiane Rahimi for their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header after the Al Ain forward was forced off injured in the United Arab Emirates.

The 30-year-old was substituted after 30 minutes of Al Ain’s President’s Cup match on Thursday, having complained of discomfort in his hamstring. He subsequently collapsed and left the pitch in tears at Rashid Stadium.

Rahimi was comforted by his brother, Houssine Rahimi, and team-mate Yahya Ben Khaleq as the emotional scene was met by applause from the crowd.

The Morocco international is awaiting the results of further medical examinations. He could be sidelined for at least three weeks, making his involvement in the next national-team camp highly uncertain and potentially ruling him out altogether.

Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi has already had to contend with the confirmed absence of Azzedine Ounahi of Panathinaikos. Rahimi’s injury would give him another significant selection problem ahead of the two matches against Niger.

The Atlas Lions are due to face Niger in Casablanca on 13 November before meeting them again in Rabat on 17 November. The fixtures are the third and fourth rounds of qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Rahimi has been a regular in Ouahbi’s squads and has become an important part of the manager’s attacking options. He has often made an impact after coming on as a substitute.

He scored in Morocco’s 2-0 victory over Gabon and provided an assist in the 0-2 win against Lesotho during the opening two rounds of qualifying.

The forward has won 46 caps for Morocco and scored 15 goals. His possible absence would therefore deprive Ouahbi of a player who has already contributed directly to goals in the current qualifying campaign.