Morocco Names Walid Regragui as New National Team Coach Ahead of World Cup

Walid Regragui is the one who will lead the Moroccan team to the 2022 Qatar World Cup, after the departure of Vahid Halilhodzic who qualified them last March. Originally from Fnideq, the new coach of the Atlas Lions, who was born and raised in Corbeil-Essones (France), remains very attached to the Moroccan city. "Every year, I spend two months in Morocco, it’s mandatory," he said in an interview conducted when he was still a footballer.

Regragui was a Moroccan international (45 caps with the national team) who played for teams like Racing Paris, Toulouse, Ajaccio, Racing de Santander, Dijon, Grenoble, Mogreb Atlético Tétouan and Fleury-Merogis. The 46-year-old former right-back therefore has a good knowledge of the French, Spanish and Moroccan game. And as a coach, he is influenced by the styles of Guardiola and Rudi García. Some compare him to the Portuguese José Mourinho for his intensity and character, writes El Faro de Ceuta.

In Morocco, the new coach’s career is not negligible. After his beginnings as an assistant to the national team, Regragui spent six good years at FUS Rabat, before going on a short experience in Qatar with Al-Duhail and returning to Morocco to lead Wydad Casablanca. He has many trophies to his credit such as the Moroccan Championship, the Throne Cup, the Qatari Championship, the CAF Champions League as well as several other individual distinctions.

The "Lion of Fnideq" has three months to prepare for the World Cup in Qatar. Morocco is in Group F with Belgium, Canada and Croatia. The new coach will need high-level players like Ziyech, Hakimi, En-Nesyri, El Haddadi or Bounou, mostly playing in La Liga, but also new revelations like Anouar Tuhami.