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Join on Telegram Vahid Halilhodzic, the head coach of the Atlas Lions, Morocco’s national football team, is reportedly likely to be dismissed from his duties next week.
According to converging reports by various Moroccan media outlets, news of Halilhidzic’s departure is expected to be communicated after the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 qualifiers game against Liberia on June 13.
Morocco’s football team’s poor performances in its latest games have once again cast a shadow of doubt over the Franco-Bosnian manager’s future with the Atlas Lions. Many Moroccan football fans have in the past days renewed their calls for Halilhodzic to be sacked ahead of the start of the upcoming World Cup kick.
During Morocco’s national team’s game against South Africa this week, Moroccan football fans, who flocked to the stadium to support the Atlas Lions, relentlessly booed and jeered at Halilhodzic.
Calls for Halilhodzic’s dismissal echoed throughout the stadium, with many angry fans expressing their frustration with the Atlas Lions’ poor-quality performance and holding the Bosnian coach responsible for it.
As a result, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) appears to have finally heeded Moroccan fans’ continuous calls. Various reports suggest that the FRMF leadership is actively working on the post-Halilhodzic phase, with many profiles of potential replacements said to have been brought to the table of discussion.
According to the news website Le360, the Moroccan federation has already agreed on the potential names to replace Halilhodzic.
The news outlet suggested the names of Walid Regragui, Houcine Ammouta, and Badou Zaki, with many reports indicating that Wydad AC coach Walid Regragui is the most widely circulated name within the FRMF corridors.
Just a passing storm?
Halilhodzic has long been involved in a relentless push and pull with both the Moroccan media and fans.
Following Morocco’s frustrating exit from the AFCON earlier this year, several Moroccan news outlets and critics launched a fierce online campaign against the French-Bosnian coach, calling for his immediate dismissal.
Fans blamed the Atlas Lions’ dismal AFCON performance on the coach’s decision to exclude some of Morocco’s most talented players from the squad, namely Hakim Ziyech, Noussair Mazraoui, and Abderrazak Hamdallah.
Read also: Sorry Ziyech, Mazraoui: Halilhodzic Was Never the Coach Morocco Needs
Despite the widespread backlash, the Bosnian coach stood by his decision not to call red-listed players back to the national team. He also notably dispelled rumors of his potential dismissal by lambasting the Moroccan media for running an “unjustifiable” campaign against him.
In taking issue with the Moroccan media, Halilhodzic stressed that he had succeeded in meeting a large part of the terms of his contract with the FRMF, including qualifying Morocco to the FIFA World Cup.
The “sack Halilhodzic” storm appeared to have finally passed in the past two months after news emerged of the coach’s agreement to a compromise with the FRMF about the return of red-listed players. While Mazraoui has already announced his return to the Atlas Lions squad, Ziyech is so far standing by his decision to never again play under Halilhodzic.
Amid that unresolved fiasco, and in light of the Moroccan team’s recent poor performances (especially the 3-0 defeat against the US), fans have again raised questions about the team’s readiness to take on tough opponents at the upcoming World Cup.
Many have in the past few days called on the Moroccan federation to intervene and put an end to Halilhodzic’s “self-defeating” coaching style in order to ensure proper preparation for the Atlas Lions’ participation in world football’s biggest tournament.
To date, however, the FRMF has neither confirmed nor refuted the circulating rumors about Halilhodzic’s potential departure.
With less than 48 hours ahead of the anticipated AFCON qualifier game against Liberia, the Atlas Lions fans are waiting with bated breath to either rejoice at Halilhodzic’s departure or yet again learn to make peace with just another passing fog.
