Morocco have suffered a huge blow after Sofiane Boufal was ruled out of the remainder of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui confirmed the news a few hours before they face South Africa in the round of 16 fixture at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro on Tuesday.

“Sofiane Boufal’s journey in the Africa Cup of Nations has come to an end, unless there is a miracle, due to his muscle injury,” said Regragui.

Boufal, who plies his trade at Qatari side Al-Rayyan, and played all three group games for Morocco, joins the injury list that includes Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui.