RABAT, Morocco — Morocco coach Walid Regragui has give up the crew simply months earlier than it competes on the World Cup, he confirmed at a late-night information convention on Thursday.
Regragui’s departure — lower than 100 days earlier than the USA, Canada and Mexico host the World Cup from June 11 to July 19 — was extensively reported earlier than Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the nation’s soccer federation, accompanied Regragui for the information convention that doubled as a tribute to the departing coach.
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“The crew wants a recent face, a special power, and a brand new perspective with a brand new coach,” Regragui mentioned. “I believe the crew wants a brand new lease of life earlier than the World Cup, a brand new imaginative and prescient to proceed progressing. My choice to depart is a part of this crew’s evolution.”
The 50-year-old Regragui led Morocco to the semifinals on the 2022 World Cup — a primary for Africa and the Arab world — however he was criticized after the crew did not win the Africa Cup of Nations because the host nation after a dramatic 1-0 loss to Senegal within the remaining in January.
Lekjaa mentioned that Mohamed Ouahbi, who led Morocco’s under-20 crew to the Youth World Cup title, was taking on as Regragui’s successor.
It is going to be Ouahbi’s first expertise teaching a senior crew. The 49-year-old Belgian-Moroccan was beforehand accountable for Morocco’s under-23s and far of his profession was spent managing youth sides at Belgian membership Anderlecht.
“I am not right here to construct, as a result of the foundations are already in place. I am right here to maintain performing,” Ouahbi mentioned.
Ouahbi mentioned João Sacramento could be his assistant coach. The Portuguese is a former assistant coach at Paris Saint-Germain, and he labored below José Mourinho at Roma and Tottenham.
Morocco has not received a continental trophy since 1975, and Regragui was additionally criticized for his defensive model of play. Some critics already had referred to as for his dismissal after Morocco disenchanted on the earlier Africa Cup in Ivory Coast.
Regragui, a former right-back for Spanish membership Racing Santander, was appointed Morocco’s nationwide crew coach in 2022. His future was the topic of intense hypothesis after the most recent Africa Cup disappointment, with a number of media retailers reporting his departure and prompting the federation to challenge three denials.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi referred to as Regragui a “legend” on the social community X, the place he mentioned the coach’s “management, ardour, and imaginative and prescient impressed not solely the gamers, but additionally a whole nation and thousands and thousands of followers around the globe.”
Hakimi mentioned Regragui “left an unforgettable mark on the historical past of Moroccan soccer. Thanks for making us dream and for sporting our colours with such satisfaction.”
Morocco is investing billions of {dollars} in sports-related infrastructure because it bids to change into a soccer powerhouse. It’s co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal and harbors excessive hopes of staging the ultimate in Hassan II Stadium, set to be the most important soccer enviornment on the earth with a capability of 115,000 after its deliberate completion in 2028.
Morocco will play World Cup warm-up video games towards Ecuador and Paraguay on March 27 and 31, respectively.
The Atlas Lions have been drawn in World Cup Group C with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland.
