Morocco’s Saïss Reveals Root of Ziyech-Halilhodzic National Team Rift

Appointed as head of the Moroccan national team in August 2019, Vahid Halilhodzic regularly called up Hakim Ziyech for various matches of the Atlas Lions. The good understanding between the player and the then national coach ended in September 2021 when Vahid stopped calling up Ziyech until his departure in August 2022, three months before the final phase of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In an interview with the media Le Club des 5, Romain Saïss (83 caps, 3 goals), the former captain of the Atlas Lions, confirmed the dispute between the two men and revealed its cause. According to the Al Sadd center-back, an attitude of Ziyech, perceived as an affront by Vahid, would be at the root of the break. The Moroccan winger allegedly failed to greet the Franco-Bosnian coach upon arrival at a gathering. "The year he (Ziyech) wins the Champions League (with Chelsea, ed.), he joins the group later. [...] He arrives, he lands, he goes directly for treatment in the physio room, massage and everything," confides the former Wolverhampton player.

A misconduct that Vahid reportedly did not digest. Although he sent his assistants to ask Ziyech to join him in his office, the latter allegedly told them he would do so after finishing his treatment. "The coach calls him to his office. He says: ’I’m not coming because I’m getting a massage.’ Basically, I’ll finish and come after. The other goes to report - because it’s not the coach who came to see him; (it’s) an assistant, a second, a third," details Saïss.

Faced with this behavior from Ziyech, coach Vahid decides to kick him out. "He (Ziyech) calls me (later) and tells me: ’I’m leaving.’ I tell him: ’but you just arrived and you’re telling me ’I’m leaving’?’ He tells me: ’the coach kicked me out, I’m not staying,’" develops the former captain of the Atlas Lions. And to continue: "In the evening, big meeting with the coach, Hakim and the president (of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, ed.) all night... The coach speaks, Hakim speaks. I translate to the coach [...] In the end, I don’t translate word for word. I select the right words. It calms down, and the next day, the coach calls me and tells me (that) it’s better we start over with a clean slate (with Hakim)."

But deep down, Vahid hadn’t really turned the page. The rest, we know. The Franco-Bosnian coach excluded the current Al Duhail striker from his list for the next gathering, the September one that coincided with the start of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "At the next camp, Hakim calls me and says: ’if you want, we’ll go together (to the gathering, convinced he would be selected, ed.)’. I said: ’I have a match in London. If you want, I’ll spend the night there and the next day after your match, we’ll take a plane and go together.’ He tells me: ’ok, let’s do that.’ The list comes out and he’s not in it. And then, he (Vahid) holds a press conference, and he tears him (Ziyech) apart."