Morocco: Regragui succeeds Halilhodzic as coach before the 2022 World Cup
Walid Regragui in the 2022 CAF Champions League final. REUTERS - JUAN MEDINA
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
2 mins
Walid Regragui was presented as coach of the Moroccan national team on August 31, 2022. He succeeds Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic, dismissed on August 11, just 12 weeks before the entry into the running of the Atlas Lions the World Cup in Qatar.
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Vahid Halilhodzic has been dismissed - after an "
amicable
" separation - from his position as coach of the Moroccan national team.
And Walid Regragui succeeded him as boss of the Atlas Lions.
What still looked like a rumor a few months ago – which had even been denied by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on July 10 – has finally happened: the young technician (46 years old) will therefore lead the Moroccans during the next World Cup, scheduled in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, 2022.
“
The Moroccan public expects good results.
We hope to do great things
, he said during his official presentation, this August 31, 2022.
We will give everything to make you happy
”.
However, the mission promises to be complicated for the former defender of Toulouse, Ajaccio, Dijon, Grenoble (France) and Santander (Spain).
The one who was born in France and who spent most of his career as a professional player there (1999-2009) will indeed have to qualify the Moroccan selection for the round of 16 against nations such as Croatia (November 23), Belgium (November 27) and Canada (December 1).
Four-year contract
"
We are all behind Walid Regragui in his new mission at the head of the national team
," said FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa.
We wish him good luck and good luck
.”
The person concerned, who made his debut on the bench with FUS Rabat (2014-2020) then went into exile in Al Duhail in Qatar (2020-2021), above all carved out a good reputation for himself by winning the last League African champions with Wydad Casablanca (2021-2022).
To the point of being offered a four-year contract with Morocco.
"
I currently have a short-term project, the objective being to prepare for the World Cup
", explained the man who has worn the Moroccan colors 45 times.
"
I cannot change the base of the team that exists, but I will bring one or two touches
", he promised, while many Moroccan fans have been demanding for several months the returns of midfielder Hakim Ziyech and defender Noussair Mazraoui, cold with Halilhodzic.
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