"The team needs a fresh face, a different energy, and a new perspective with a new coach. I think the team needs a new lease of life before the World Cup, a new vision to continue progressing. My decision to leave is part of this team's evolution."
"At the 2022 World Cup, Regragui led Morocco to the semifinals -- a first for Africa and the Arab world -- but he was criticized after the team failed to win the Africa Cup of Nations as the host country after a dramatic 1-0 loss to Senegal in the final in January."
"Morocco has not won a continental trophy since 1975, and Regragui was also criticized for his defensive style of play. Some critics already had called for his dismissal after Morocco disappointed at the previous Africa Cup in Ivory Coast."
Walid Regragui, Morocco's national team coach, announced his resignation at a news conference in Rabat on Thursday, just months before the 2026 World Cup in North America. Despite leading Morocco to the 2022 World Cup semifinals—a historic achievement for Africa and the Arab world—Regragui faced criticism following the team's failure to win the Africa Cup of Nations as host nation, losing 1-0 to Senegal in the final. He cited the team's need for fresh energy and new perspective as reasons for his departure. Mohamed Ouahbi, who led Morocco's under-20 team to the Youth World Cup title, will replace him. Morocco continues investing heavily in sports infrastructure as it prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]