Morocco faces South Africa this Tuesday for their chance to advance to the AFCON quarter-finals, but they'll do so without a key player, Sofiane Boufal. The Al-Rayyan forward suffered a muscular injury that will keep him out of the crucial round of 16 match against the "Bafana Bafana" and likely for the remainder of the tournament.

This was announced by Moroccan national team coach Walid Regragui in a press conference. He revealed that Boufal sustained a muscular injury during a preparation training session for the round of 16 clash.

"I think his participation in the AFCON is over," explained Regragui. "We've lost an important player. It's a muscular injury that will prevent him from finishing the tournament, unless a miracle happens. We'll see. Today is complicated for Sofiane," he added.

With Boufal ruled out, Morocco loses a significant weapon, especially on the left side of the attack. The winger was a substitute in the first group stage match but started in the next two, putting in excellent performances. It's likely that his place in the Moroccan attack will be taken by Real Betis player Ez Abde.

Without Boufal on the left, it remains to be seen if Morocco will also miss Hakim Ziyech on the right. The Galatasaray winger is still recovering from the ankle sprain he suffered in the match against Zambia, and his participation is in serious doubt.

If Ziyech's absence is confirmed as well, the challenge for the "Atlas Lions" will be to overcome these absences to reach the quarter-finals of this exciting AFCON, which you can follow on beIN Sports.