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Morocco World News
Rabat, September 22, 2012
Almost a week after the dismissal of Eric Gerets, the Moroccan Football Federation announced on Saturday the name of the new coach of the national team. Contrary to what the majority of Moroccans expected, the new coach is Rachid Taoussi, former coach of the MAS of Fez and hitherto coach of the FAR of Rabat.
The announcement was made 6 days after the committee in charge of hiring the new coach met with the four candidates to replace Gerets at the helm of the Atlas lions, namely, Mhammed Fakhir, Mohammed Amri, Badou Zaki and Rachid Taoussi.
“The federation expresses its thanks for the four candidates who showed their readiness to lead the national team. The committee decided to name Rachid Taousi as the national coach,” Karim Alem, member of the Moroccan Federation told the press on Saturday.
“The Federation calls upon the other staff to help the new coach to carry on his job professionally”, he added.
A survey conducted by the sport newspaper Al Mountakhab on Thursday revealed that 84% of Moroccans were hopeful to see Badou Zaki leading the national team.
Rachid Taoussi is one of the most successful coaches in Morocco, and the only one to have won two African titles in one year.
Last year he won a historic triplet with the MAS of Fez, offering the Moroccan fans the African Fderation Cup, the African Super Cup, in addition to the Throne Cup. He is one of the few coaches to have put an end to the dominance of Tunisian teams of their Moroccan counterparts, as he beat Tunisia’s African Club in the final of the Federation Cup and the Esperance of Tunis in the African Super Cup.
He is also the only Moroccan to have won an continental title with a national team. In 1997, he led the Moroccan under 20 team to win the African Cup of Nations, which was held in Moroccan cities of Fez and Meknes.
