Walid Regragui to leave Morocco role, Mohamed Ouahbi to replace him | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, the Moroccan federation will on Thursday confirm the end of its collaboration with Walid Regragui, 50, who resigned after the Africa Cup of Nations. He will be replaced by Mohamed Ouahbi, a Belgo-Moroccan youth specialist at Anderlecht and Morocco’s U20 World Cup winner in October.

Appointed shortly before the 2022 World Cup to replace Vahid Halilhodzic, Regragui led Morocco to a semi-final against France in Qatar, a 0-2 defeat on 14 December 2022.

He later reached the Africa Cup of Nations final on 18 January, losing 0-1 to Senegal after extra time, the country’s first final since 2004.

In between, Morocco exited the 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire in the last 16, beaten 0-2 by South Africa on 30 January 2024. They strung together 19 straight wins before drawing 1-1 with Mali on 26 December, then only lost to Senegal.

The Ivorian exit triggered heavy criticism of the team’s play and Regragui’s dealings with the media, with whistles in Rabat last December. Public backing from federation president Faouzi Lekjaa was absent for months.

Exhausted, Regragui resigned at the end of the competition.

The federation had chosen Xavi to succeed him, then prioritised appointing a Moroccan in line with promoting the country, with others perhaps to follow after the United States.

Ouahbi will be assisted by Joao Sacramento, formerly José Mourinho’s assistant, and Youssouf Hadji, part of Hervé Renard’s staff at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, to add top-level experience to the near novice.

Source: L'Équipe