Walid Regragui Calls Up Hakim Ziyech to Morocco’s National Team

Rabat – Walid Regragui, the newly appointed head coach of the Moroccan national team, revealed today the list of the 32 players called up to take part in Morocco’s upcoming matches, including Hakim Ziyech.

Earlier this year, Ziyech announced his retirement from Morocco’s football team following a feud with the country’s then head coach Vahid Halilhodzic. The Morocco international suggested that his decision to leave the national team was due to the fact that he felt unwanted and unwelcome.

Many football fans criticized Halilhodzich’s decisions regarding Morocco’s football team, with most fans of the Atlas Lions saying that the Franco-Bosnian coach’s “stubbornness” and lack of man-management skills were the main reasons for Morocco’s dispiritingly early elimination from the latest Africa Cup of Nations.

Amid the wave of criticism directed at the French-Bosnian coach, Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF) announced last month its decision to sack Halilhodzic. The announcement was received as good news by many Moroccan football fans.

Weeks later, the FRMF announced reaching an agreement with Walid Regragui to become Morocco’s new coach, to the excitement of the vast majority of Atlas Lions’ fans.

Regragui’s list for Morocco’s upcoming, pre-World Cup friendly games includes goalkeepers Yassine Bounou, Mounir El Kajoui, Anas Zniti, and Reda Tagnaouiti.

In defense, the new Moroccan manager called up Achraf Hakimi, Jaouad El Yamiq, Romain Saiss, Yahya Attiallah, Achraf Dari, Samy Mmaee, Hamza El Moussaoui, Badr Banoun, and Noussair Mazraoui.

Also called up are midfielders Sofyan Amrabat, Ilias Chair, Azzedine Ounahi, Selim Amallah, Younes Belhanda, Yahya Jebran, Amine Harit, and Abdelhamid Sabbiri.

In addition to Hakim Ziyech, the national team’s attacking department features Youssef Ennesyri, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Ryan Mmae, Munir El Hadadi, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Soufiane Rahimi, Soufiane Boufal, Walid Cheddira, and Ayoub El Kaabi.

Regragui announced the news today at a press conference during which he spoke both of his gratitude to have been entrusted the position of national coach, and of his determination to get the Atlas Lions to perform well at the upcoming World Cup.

In preparation for the upcoming 2022 Qatar World Cup, Morocco will play friendly matches against Chile on September 23 in Barcelona, and against Paraguay on September 27 in Seville.