Morocco Coach Halilhodzic Honored by King’s Congratulations After World Cup Qualification

"I am particularly proud that King Mohammed VI of Morocco personally congratulated me and that many of our fellow citizens from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and around the world are delighted with the qualification of four national teams for the World Cup," he said in an interview with the Bosnian newspaper Nacional.hr.

Despite the qualification of the Moroccan team for the 2022 World Cup, Vahid Halilhodzic continues to face criticism from many supporters, particularly because of the rift between him and the Moroccan internationals Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui, who refuse to return to the national team. Since then, a power struggle has pitted the Franco-Bosnian coach against these two players.

Is Vahid a dictator? "Dictator? Don’t just call me a dictator! These are people who kill people, don’t give them freedom, torture others. I am offended when they tell me that I am a dictator. You can write anything, comment, criticize me, but when you tell me that I am a dictator, I go crazy," he reacted, explaining that there are nearly 40 million people in Morocco who passionately follow football and live for their national team and that this must be respected.