Morocco select Regragui to lead them into a new sporting era
The craze unleashed by football in Morocco has forced the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) to make difficult decisions in recent months. The second to last was the sacking of Vahid Halilhodzic on 11 August and the last was the appointment of Walid Regragui as Morocco coach.
The 46-year-old former Morocco international, born in the French commune of Corbeil-Essonnes, north of Paris, takes the reins of his country's national team after winning the African championship with Wydad Casablanca after a 2-0 win over Al Ahly in the final of the CAF Champions League on 30 May 2022. In 2012, he was assistant coach of the Moroccan national team for a year with Rachid Taoussi as head coach.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the FRMF, said at the presentation of Regragui at the Mohammed VI Football Complex: "We are all behind Walid Regragui in his new mission in charge of the national team. We wish him good luck".
That appearance was key to the future of the Atlas Lions and the objectives they have set themselves for the coming years. The president assured that "the clear and precise objectives revolve around qualifying for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire and the 2026 World Cup finals", the year until which Regragui's contract runs out.
There was no reference to the Qatar World Cup which starts next November and where Morocco will be hoping to match the result of Mexico 86, when they became the first African team in history to reach the last 16 of a World Cup. It is understood, therefore, that the objective was to be in Qatar and now all that remains is to enjoy a historic team that will compete in group F against Croatia, Belgium and Canada.
For his part, Regragui expressed his "pride for the appointment and for having evolved in the past as a player of the national team". To put to rest any controversy about the players who could be called up to the Morocco squad, the new coach assured that "the door of the national team is wide open to all players, whether they play in the national championship or abroad".
Ziyech is the most wanted player. His bad relationship with Halilhodzic made him leave the Lions, but thanks to the intermediation of Lekjaa and the arrival of Regragui everything will be back to normal.
Spain remembers Regragui after a three-season stint in the Primera División with Racing Santander between 2004 and 2007. In total, he made 26 league appearances and one more in the Copa del Rey in 2005. The player arrived from French club Ajaccio, but did not integrate into a club accustomed to the dance of coaches with Alcaraz, Nando Yosu, Preciado and Miguel Angel Portugal in three seasons on the bench. In his first year he came to coincide with the Tunisian Mehdi Nafti and after completing his contract he finished his career at Grenoble.
