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Join on Telegram Fez – Morocco’s head coach Vahid Halilhodzic has stated that he has received death threats following Morocco’s disappointing elimination from the AFCON’s quarter-finals. Halilhodzic held a press conference today, February 3, at the Mohammed VI football complex in Maamora.
Speaking at the press conference, the Bosnian coach discussed Morocco’s Atlas Lions overall participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), declaring that he “receives death threats.” He added that as a coach, he is used to such threats.
He further stated that he also receives encouragement which makes him feel good and pushes him to give more.
Reacting to Moroccan football fans’ calls for immediate dismissal of the national team head coach, Halilhodzic highlighted that he understands the fans’ outrage, especially after the disappointing defeat against Egypt.
Yet, he reminded the Moroccan public of Morocco’s Atlas Lions’ undefeated streak under the Bosnian coach’s management, which surpassed 30 games before Egypt’s Pharaohs succeeded in breaking this record.
“I can leave right now if you like. I have no pressure whether to leave or not. I’ve already left in the past […] We won all our games except this one,” Halilhodzic stressed.
Halilhodzic has also replied to the relentlessly recurring questions about excluding Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech from the national team squad.
Read also: Halilhodzic Refuses to Include Ziyech in World Cup Play-off Game
He offered a combative statement when asked about a potential comeback for Hakim Ziyech in the Moroccan national squad after the team’s disappointing conclusion to the AFCON tournament.
“I can’t summon someone who can blow up the team, even if it was Lionel Messi,” the Bosnian coach affirmed.
Since Morocco’s Atlas Lions elimination from the AFCON’s quarter-finals demands to sack the Bosnian coach have lit up across the web, with many social media users suggesting potential replacements, such as former coach Badou Zaki.
Still, the Moroccan Royal Football Federation (FRMF) seems to be satisfied with the Bosnian coach’s performance despite him not having met the agreed-upon terms in his contract with the federation.
