What does Ziyech return mean for Morocco’s World Cup campaign?

Chelsea playmaker Hakim Ziyech has been named in Morocco’s squad to face Chile and Paraguay in friendly games next week as the Atlas Lions continue their preparations for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The 29-year-old last featured for his nation on June 21, 2021 against Burkina Faso before falling out with the then head coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

The row saw the Dutch-born-and-bred star announce his retirement from the national side earlier this year after he missed out on Afcon 2021 this January in Cameroon and was left out of the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Moroccan fans felt that the Franco-Bosnian tactician was letting his ego dictate terms instead of looking out for the best interests of the team, especially after the Atlas Lions failed at yet another attempt at winning their first Afcon title since 1976.

Another section of fans supported Halilhodzic’s decision, saying that no player was bigger than the nation after the latter accused Ziyech of faking an injury to skip a friendly game and arriving late to the national team training camp.

However, the Royal Morocco Football Federation (FRMF) took the bold decision of firing Halilhodzic over player selection after growing tension between the two parties before naming the young and successful Walid Regragui to replace him.

The Moroccan, who inspired Wydad Casablanca to Caf Champions League glory this May, is seen as a breath of fresh air in the national team setup and, unsurprisingly, his inclusion of Ziyech on his first squad list was received as fantastic news by Moroccan enthusiasts.

THE ZIYECH FACTOR

Regragui, who as a defender guided Morocco to the Afcon 2004 final in his playing days, cannot hide his excitement about fielding one of the best players to ever don the famous red and green shirt.

“When I spoke to him, he accepted immediately and told me that he couldn't wait to return to the squad. I know he has quite a strong character. I explained to him that we want the best players in the national team, he is one of them. He wanted to come back. He's a player who loves his country, which he has proved since the start,” Regragui said with confidence at his first squad revelation.

For Morocco who are a highly attacking side, Ziyech is expected to bring creativity in the midfield in an attacking position and if deployed to the wings, he is one that can make Regragui’s side one to reckon with in Qatar.

He has an eye for goal, can easily be the core of transitional play and is also a dead ball specialist that could alongside PSG’s Achraf Hakimi give Morocco more scoring options.

Ziyech’s return is expected to make Morocco’s attacking line that includes Soufiane Rahimi, Sofiane Boufal, Sofyan Amrabat, Yahya Jabrane, Ayoub El Kaabi, Munir El Haddadi, Ryan Mmaee, Yousef En-Nesyri and Walid Cheddira among others worthy of respect at the world’s biggest showpiece in two months’ time.

“He has a lot of quality even if he does not play regularly, he is a Chelsea player and he is not just at any club. What matters is to help your own people win and to be up to it. As for me, I do not need to have coffee every day with one player or another to understand each other. Performance on the pitch will be the sole judge.

“We will wait for the Hakim that all Moroccans love, the one who fights on the pitch and who gives everything to his team. I prefer players who discuss decisions rather than passive players who are simple performers.

“An angry player after being substituted, I do not mind as long as he plays a good game. If he is unhappy, it proves that he wants to play, score and help the team.

“For example, he can raise his hand in protest if I replace him and is a player who does everything to assert himself on the pitch to play.”

Regragui, who is known to be a great man-manager in the dressing room, has already attracted a lot of positive comments from players old and new in the national team setup as Moroccans showcase their gratitude to the FRMF for choosing to go with a local coach for the first time since 2016 when Badou Ezzaki was in charge.

After all, no foreign coach has ever won the World Cup in its 92-year history!

MORE RETURNEES AND DEBUTANTS - A NEW ERA

The Regragui period has also confirmed the comeback of Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui who last featured for Morocco in October 2020 after also falling out with Halilhodzic as well as Younes Belhanda, who last played for the North African nation at Afcon 2019 in Egypt.

Former German under-21 midfielder Abelhamid Sabiri who turns out for Sampdoria in the Italian Serie A and Walid Cheddira who also plies his trade in Italy for Serie B Bari have also been included in the Atlas Lions side to face Chile in Barcelona on September 23 and Paraguay in Seville on September 27.

The Atlas Lions were drawn in Group F and will face the 2018 finalists, Croatia, on November 23 before taking on former world No 1-ranked Belgium four days later. They will conclude their group stage campaign against Canada on December 1.

Morocco’s best performance at the World Cup was reaching the Round of 16 at the 1986 edition and they have failed to progress from the group stages in their other three appearances in 1970, 1994 and 1998.

Regragui, Ziyech and company will be hoping to overturn that record in Qatar.