Manager of World Cup team leaves job months before start of tournament

Morocco manager Walid Regragui has left his job with immediate effect.

Regragui’s departure comes just six weeks on from Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations final defeat on home soil to Senegal.

AFP

Morocco Under-23s boss Mohamed Ouahbi is the favourite to succeed Regragui ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals.

Regragui’s exit comes just 98 days before the start of the World Cup, which Morocco have qualified for.

They are in Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland and Haiti.

End of an era

Regragui leaves his post having overseen a very successful period in charge of the Morocco national team.

Appointed in August 2022, Regragui spearheaded their stellar run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, which is the furthest an African nation has ever gone at a World Cup finals.

However, Morocco were not able to become African champions under his tenure.

The 2024 AFCON tournament saw the Atlas Lions suffer a shock defeat to South Africa in the last-16.

They managed to reach the final in the most recent edition of the tournament, which they hosted, but ultimately lost 1-0 to Senegal in a chaotic final in Moroccan capital Rabat.

It meant they were unable to deliver AFCON glory for the first time in 50 years.

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Who is Mohamed Ouahbi?

Despite AFCON heartache, there will be high hopes in Morocco and across Africa that the team can make a serious dent at this summer’s World Cup.

Tasked with leading Morocco to the USA, Canada and Mexico is Ouahbi, who has been with the nation’s youth set-up since March 2022.

The 49-year-old first became manager of their Under-20 side, leading them at the Under-20 Arab Cup in 2022, the UNAF (Union of North African Football) Under-20 Tournament editions of 2022, 2023, and 2024 — with Morocco winning the latter.

Like the senior team did this year, Morocco fell just short at the Under-20 AFCON last year as they lost the final to South Africa.

But Ouahbi guided Morocco to Under-20 World Cup glory later in 2025, beating Argentina in the final.

Belgium-born Ouahbi was then appointed Under-23s head coach in December but he hasn’t taken charge of a single match for the team.

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In a coaching career that has spanned 29 years, Ouahbi has also worked in youth teams at Belgian sides Anderlecht and Maccabi Brussels.

Being promoted as Morocco first-team manager will represent Ouahbi’s first senior role and he has just over three months to prepare for the World Cup.

Morocco begin their campaign against record world champions Brazil on June 13 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

They then face Scotland on June 19 before rounding off their group with a clash against minnows Haiti on June 24.