Nominated for the 2026 African Player of the Year award, Bayern Munich and Morocco forward Ismaël Saibari could be sidelined for several months after a ligament injury to his ankle, which was operated on a few days ago.
Ismaël Saibari is among the ten nominees for the 2026 African Player of the Year award, according to Bundesliga.com. But the 25-year-old will not be able to fully savour this recognition: a ligament injury to his ankle, sustained in the Klassiker, could keep him out of action for several months.
Bayern Munich drew 2-2 with Dortmund on Saturday, a match in which the Morocco international went off injured. According to the Dutch website VI.nl, he underwent ankle surgery a few days ago. He is expected to be unavailable for several months.
A first Bavarian season cut short
Having joined Bayern in July from PSV Eindhoven, Saibari had already found the net three times in the Munich shirt. Saturday’s injury halts that momentum. The player will not be able to press his claims with Bayern or with the Morocco national team in the immediate future, VI.nl reports.
Last season, in the PSV shirt, he scored 19 goals and provided nine assists, with the club crowned Eredivisie champions.
A promising World Cup with Morocco
At the 2026 World Cup, Saibari contributed to the Atlas Lions’ run to the quarter-finals. He scored three goals in five appearances there, according to Bundesliga.com. Asharq Al-Awsat adds a nuance: those three goals came in the group stages, before an injury against the Netherlands.
Were he to be crowned, Saibari would become the second Moroccan to win the prize since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, Bundesliga.com points out. His national team teammate Achraf Hakimi was the winner last year. The ceremony has not yet produced a winner.
Ouazane, the other Moroccan nominee
Morocco is represented in another category: Abdellah Ouazane, a young Ajax player, is nominated for the best young player award, according to VI.nl. He made his debut with the Morocco national team in September and has just been called up for the next international window.