Morocco Coach Halilhodzic Explains Ziyech’s Omission from National Team

As soon as the list of called-up players was published, many tried to interpret the non-selection of the player. According to the newspaper Assabah, the Chelsea player would have tried to mediate between Vahid Halilhodzic and Noussair Mazraoui so that the latter would rejoin the Moroccan national team.

But on Wednesday, the coach indicated that the reasons are simple and are related to the way the player behaves when it comes to the national team. For him, the player does not behave like a leader. "He often arrives late and does not like to work. The national team is the most important, it is above everything. No one can take the national team hostage. This is the first time in my coaching career that I have seen a behavior that disappoints me. He did not want to play a friendly match when he was fit. He underwent medical tests and he could play, it is unacceptable for the team," the coach stressed.

This Thursday, Morocco faces Sudan before playing against Guinea five days later. This will be the first match of the Atlas Lions in these qualifiers for the next 2022 World Cup in Qatar.