Pakistan, July 6 -- When Ismael Saibari clutched the back of his right thigh just 22 minutes into Morocco's FIFA World Cup round of 16 clash against Canada, alarm bells started ringing. In a tournament where the Atlas Lions' glaring weakness had been converting golden chances, losing their top scorer was the last thing they needed.

Morocco's biggest doubters emerged, knowing that Saibari's absence would mean a weaker offensive display.

His replacement was Soufiane Rahimi.

The Al-Ain forward had racked up just 61 minutes of game time before the round of 16, operating as a key bench player for a nation he only truly broke into in early 2024. That gamble had already paid off once, with a late cameo against Haiti producing a goal and an as...