Regragui Out: Morocco’s Coach Resigns Before the World Cup, Ouahbi in Charge

Walid Regragui Leaves Morocco’s Technical Direction Before the World Cup

In a surprising piece of news that shakes the world of soccer, Morocco’s coach, Walid Regragui, has resigned from his position a few months before the start of the World Cup. The news was confirmed in a late-night press conference on Thursday. Regragui’s departure, less than 100 days before the United States, Canada, and Mexico co-organize the World Cup, was widely reported. Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the country’s football federation, accompanied Regragui at the press conference, which served as a tribute to the outgoing coach.

“The team needs a fresh face, a different energy and a new perspective with a new coach,” said Regragui. “I think the team needs a new opportunity before the World Cup, a new vision to continue progressing. My decision to leave is part of the evolution of this team.”

Walid Regragui

Regragui, 50 years old, led Morocco to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, a historic achievement for Africa and the Arab world. However, he was criticized after the team failed to win the African Cup of Nations as the host country, following a 1-0 defeat to Senegal in the final in January. Lekjaa announced that Mohamed Ouahbi, who led Morocco’s U-20 team to the Youth World Cup title, will take over as Regragui’s successor.

This will be Ouahbi’s first experience as the coach of a senior team. The 49-year-old Belgian-Moroccan was previously in charge of Morocco’s U-23 team and spent much of his career managing youth teams at the Belgian club Anderlecht.

“I am not here to build, because the foundations are already established. I am here to continue performing,” said Ouahbi.

Mohamed Ouahbi

Ouahbi announced that João Sacramento would be his technical assistant. The Portuguese is a former technical assistant at Paris Saint-Germain and worked with José Mourinho at Roma and Tottenham. Morocco hasn’t won a continental trophy since 1975, and Regragui was also criticized for his defensive style of play. Some critics had already called for his dismissal after Morocco disappointed in the previous African Cup in Ivory Coast. Regragui, former right-back of the Spanish club Racing de Santander, was appointed coach of the Moroccan national team in 2022. His future was the subject of intense speculation after the last disappointment in the African Cup, with several media outlets reporting his departure and causing the federation to issue three denials. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi called Regragui a “legend” on the social network X, where he said that the coach’s “leadership, passion and vision” inspired “not only the players, but also an entire country and millions of fans around the world.” Hakimi stated that Regragui “left an indelible mark on the history of Moroccan football. Thank you for making us dream and for wearing our colors with so much pride.” Morocco is investing billions of dollars in sports infrastructure with the aim of becoming a football powerhouse. It will co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal and harbors high hopes of hosting the final at the Hassan II Stadium, which will become the world’s largest football stadium with a capacity of 115,000 spectators after its completion scheduled for 2028. Morocco will play preparation matches for the World Cup against Ecuador and Paraguay on March 27 and 31, respectively. The Atlas Lions have been drawn in Group C of the World Cup alongside Brazil, Haiti, and Scotland.