Morocco’s World Cup preparations clouded by coach controversy
One of Africa’s representatives at the Qatar World Cup has been overshadowed by controversy over the coach.
Morocco face a daunting task as they bid to replicate their 1986 feat when they became the first African nation to reach the second round.
The Atlas Lions fired Vahid Halilhodzic in August, a few months before the finals. This comes after a long dispute between the Bosnian coach and the Moroccan FA president over player selection.
Last year, Halilhodzic excluded Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech and Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui for disciplinary reasons. He resisted calls by FA chief Fouzi Lekjaa to restore them to the squad.
Halilhodzic was subsequently dismissed by the country’s FA. They then appointed former Morocco international Walid Regragui as his successor after he impressed at club level.
Regragui included Ziyech and Mazraoui in his first squad, and the pair started the friendlies against Chile and Paraguay in September.
Morocco are in drawn in Group F alongside Belgium, Canada and Croatia.
MOROCCO POSSIBLE WORLD CUP SQUAD
Goalkeepers:
GK: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla)
GK: Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda)
GK: Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca)
GK: Anas Zniti (Raja CA)
Defenders:
DF: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
DF: Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich)
DF: Ganza Ek Niyssaiyu (RS Berkane)
DF: Romain Saiss (Besiktas)
DF: Achraf Dari (Brest)
DF: Badr Benoun (Qatar SC)
DF: Yahia Attiyat Allah (Wydad Casablanca)
DF: Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid)
DF: Samy Mmaee (Ferencvaros)
Midfielders:
MF: Younes Belhanda (Adana Demirspor)
MF: Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)
MF: Azzedine Ounahi (Angers)
MF: Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria)
MF: Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers)
MF: Selim Amallah (Standard Liege)
MF: Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca)
MF: Amine Harit (Marseille)
Forwards:
FW: Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)
FW: Munir El Haddadi (Getafe)
FW: Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse)
FW: Ayoub El Kaabi (Hatayspor)
FW: Walid Cheddira (Bari)
FW: Soufiane Rahimi (Al-Ain)
FW: Sofiane Boufal (Angers)
FW: Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla)
FW: Ryan Mmaee (Ferencvaros)
FW: Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna)