Stretchered off on 18 October during Panathinaikos’ emphatic 5-1 win over Asteras Aktor, Azzedine Ounahi was hoping the injury would turn out less serious than feared. Instead, a second MRI scan confirmed the worst-case scenario, and the Moroccan midfielder has gone under the knife.
On Thursday, the Athens club announced that the Morocco international had “successfully undergone surgery to repair the tendon in his right biceps femoris”. According to Footafrica, it is a complete rupture, even though the initial diagnosis pointed to a third-degree tear. The operation was carried out by orthopaedic surgeon Nicolas Lefèvre, alongside Christophe Baudot, the Atlas Lions’ team doctor. In other words, the Moroccan Federation has been following the case very closely.
Hakimi at his teammate’s bedside
In a show of solidarity within the national team, Achraf Hakimi was the first to visit him right after the operation, a gesture warmly welcomed by Moroccan fans.
A long rehabilitation lies ahead. The club expects him to be out for four to five months, and the Greek press is targeting a return in early April 2027, in time for the play-offs. Ounahi will miss Morocco’s two matches against Niger on 13 and 17 November in qualifying for AFCON 2027. His coach, Jacob Neestrup, warned: “He has to fight to come back.”