Morocco’s Ziyech Faces National Team Exile Amid Coach Conflict

It will be difficult for Hakim Ziyech to be called up again for national team matches, due to the disagreement between him and coach Vahid Halilhodžić. The only way to bring Ziyech back into the national team would be the dismissal of the national coach, according to the Moroccan Football Federation.

To read: Morocco Coach Halilhodzic Stands Firm on Ziyech’s National Team Exclusion

But this solution is not possible at the moment, as Morocco is preparing its participation in the Africa Cup of Nations in four months (from January 6 to February 9, 2022) and is also on its way to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, reports AS.

To read: Morocco’s Ziyech Dropped from World Cup Qualifiers Amid Coach Dispute

The rift between Ziyech and Halilhodžić occurred in early September when the Bosnian coach of the Atlas Lions complained about the midfielder’s attitude from Chelsea during a press conference. "For the first time in my coaching career, I saw a national team player who does not want to train and says he is injured, although the tests have shown that he can play. I will not tolerate this behavior as long as I am the coach of Morocco," he had said.