Ismael Saibari started again for Morocco, and Saibari, Morocco kept the same XI for Scotland at the 2026 World Cup. He kept his place after scoring Morocco’s goal against Brazil, with a move from PSV to FC Bayern very close to completion.
Morocco Keep The Same Side
Morocco named Bono; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Brahim Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Saibari against Scotland in Group C. Bilal El Khannouss was in that unchanged lineup too, giving Morocco the same shape after the draw with Brazil.
That selection kept the spotlight on Saibari’s role. He was not just carrying the weight of his goal against Brazil; he was also listed while his move from PSV to FC Bayern sat very close to completion, so the Scotland start came with a transfer storyline attached to it.
Scotland Arrive On Top
Scotland came in after beating Haiti and sat at the top of the group. Their lineup was Gunn; Patterson, Tierney, Hanley, Hendry, Robertson; McTominay, Ferguson, McGinn; Christie, Adams, which set up a direct test for Morocco’s unchanged approach.
The contrast is sharp enough on its own. Morocco were still being measured against the Brazil draw, while Scotland had the cleaner group position after their win over Haiti, so the match in Group C carried immediate weight for both sides without needing any extra buildup.
Ayoube Amaimouni Waits
Ayoube Amaimouni hoped for another chance from the bench after his competitive debut last week. That detail mattered because Morocco’s selection left him outside the starting side again, while Saibari and El Khannouss stayed in the front of the coach’s plans.
For Morocco, the lineup pointed to continuity rather than correction. Saibari’s start, after his goal against Brazil, and the unchanged XI together told the story: Morocco trusted the same core in Gillette Stadium, and Ayoube Amaimouni remained the name waiting for the next opening.
