Morocco coach Walid Regragui appears to be like dejected in the course of the presentation after the match. Photograph: REUTERS
RABAT:
Morocco coach Walid Regragui stop his job on Thursday, solely three months forward of the World Cup finals and ending weeks of hypothesis round his future as he stated the workforce wanted recent steering.
The choice had been anticipated for weeks however was confirmed at a late night time press convention the place Regragui stated the workforce “wanted a brand new imaginative and prescient and a unique vitality”.
“I sincerely consider the workforce wants a brand new imaginative and prescient to have the ability to progress. My determination to depart is for the higher of the workforce,” stated Regragui, who took Morocco to the World Cup semi-final in Qatar in 2022 and was additionally on the helm in January once they misplaced within the ultimate of the Africa Cup of Nations however has stop citing exhaustion.
Mohamed Ouahbi will take over as coach, the Moroccan Soccer Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa introduced on the similar press convention. The Belgian-born Ouahbi was in cost when Morocco gained the under-20 World Cup in Chile final 12 months.
The 50-year-old Regragui had been the goal of supporter criticism regardless of a stellar report of 36 wins in 49 matches with eight attracts and solely 5 losses since taking up in September 2022.
Throughout that point Morocco recorded the perfect achievement by an African nation on the World Cup and set a brand new world report for essentially the most successive wins by a nationwide workforce – a complete of 19 between June 2024 and final December.
Regragui had needed to stop after Morocco misplaced a controversial Nations Cup ultimate to Senegal in January in a match they hosted and the place they have been hoping to finish 50 years with out success in the continental championship.
He stated he was worn out after nearly 4 years within the put up however had been persuaded to delay his determination till Morocco selected a successor.
Morocco play two pleasant internationals later this month as they put together for the World Cup, which kicks off in June. They tackle Ecuador in Madrid on March 27 and Paraguay in Lens, France 4 days later.
On the World Cup, Morocco compete in Group C with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti.
In a message to Regragui on social media, opens new tab, Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi stated: “Thanks for the unimaginable work you probably did main the Moroccan nationwide workforce. Your management, ardour, and imaginative and prescient impressed not solely the gamers, but additionally a complete nation and tens of millions of followers around the globe.”
