Morocco Coach Halilhodzic on Brink of Exit Amid World Cup Preparations

In the midst of preparations for the World Cup in Qatar, the Atlas Lions risk finding themselves with a new coach. Vahid Halilhodzic is in disgrace with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and is apparently no longer able to maintain the connection with the team due to tensions with certain players like Hakim Ziyech. As a result, the Moroccan team was beaten in a friendly match by the United States and narrowly won their match against South Africa.

Before the match against South Africa, counting for the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the Franco-Bosnian coach did not give a press conference, preferring to express himself through the channels of the Federation. The coach was harshly criticized on social media for this behavior, which should lead to sanctions from the Confederation of African Football, as the presence before the media is mandatory before official matches.

To read: Morocco Coach Faces Dismissal Over Dispute with Star Players Ziyech and Mazraoui

Halilhodzic preferred to avoid the journalists who were going to question him about his future at the head of the Moroccan team and the crisis with Ziyech who refused to return to the team as long as he was in charge. But in recent days, the Algerian press has announced that the Moroccan coach could be the next coach of the Algerian team, which he had led between 2011 and 2014 and led to the round of 16 of the World Cup in Russia. A new development that exacerbates the situation and the already tense relations between the two countries.

Some rumors announce Halilhodzic as the coach of Galatasaray next season, which would lead him to leave the head of the Moroccan team before the World Cup and even before the end of the CAN 2023 qualifiers. The arrival of Walid Regragui, current coach of Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca, and assistant coach of Morocco between 2012 and 2013 under Rachid Taoussi, is mentioned.