The coach of the Moroccan national team Egypt excludes Ziyech .. and confirms, "The story is over"

The Bosnian-French coach of the Moroccan national football team, Vahid Halilhodzic, said his decision not to call up superstar Hakim Ziyech and defender Nassir Mazraoui is a "story and finished" for him.

In response to a question by the Croatian "Nova TV" channel to see if he is ready to call the players for the World Cup finals scheduled in Qatar between November 21 and December 18, Halilhodzic confirmed that "the player who refuses to train, refuses to play, claims injuries, For me, it's a finished story.

Chelsea midfielder Ziyech and Ajax Amsterdam defender Mazraoui were excluded by Halilhodgic in the last matches of the second round of the African qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar, as well as the two crucial round matches against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of last March, for disciplinary reasons.

Halilhodzic's statement came a week after the statement of the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Association (Federation) Faouzi Lekjaa, in which he confirmed that the doors of the team are still "open to all Moroccan players, regardless of the difference with any player (...) neither I nor anyone else can deprive a player. Moroccans from playing for the national team, whether it is Ziyech, Mazraoui or any other player,” adding, “This issue is not negotiable, neither with Wahid nor with anyone else,” stressing that he will express to him this “personal conviction frankly and clearly,” when he returns from his vacation. end of April.

But for Halilhodzic, "the national team is a sacred thing. It does not belong to the players (but) to this whole people."

"When someone acts like this, for me this story is over and I don't want to talk about it anymore. I've made such a decision before. The fact that someone thinks differently is up to them."

Ziyech, 29, announced in early February his retirement from international football after a dispute with Halilhodzic, who accused him of disrespect, which, he said, threatens the cohesion of the group.

Halilhodzic was criticized in Morocco for his tactical choices and the team's squad despite qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, which sparked rumors of his departure a few months before the start of the global wedding.

In response to a question about his future at the head of the technical management of the Moroccan team, Halilhodzic, who was sacked from the training of Ivory Coast and Japan months before the start of the 2010 and 2018 World Cups, respectively, said that he is "calm".

"We'll see. Many times before, a lot of strange things have happened in my life. If someone thinks differently, it's theirs. If they are not satisfied with me, it is not the first time we have parted."

The World Cup draw placed Morocco in Group F along with Croatia, Belgium and Canada.

Halilhodzic said Croatia, runner-up for the last edition in Russia in 2018, is the "favourites" in the group.

"But we are not going to go around in this match. We will do our best to beat Croatia. We will prepare for every little detail and try to surprise."

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