Following the conclusion of Morocco’s warm-up matches with a scoreless draw against Paraguay in Spain, all attention is now focused on the World Cup.
To have a chance of leaving Group G, Morocco will have to get past tournament heavyweights Croatia and Belgium, who finished second and third in Russia 2018.
The team enters the competition with a world ranking of 22, making them the second-best African team after Senegal, who is ranked 18th and will compete in Group A of the Qatar 2022 event.
Despite rumors that Belgium’s golden generation, which includes stars like Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, and Thibault Courtois, has peaked and an underwhelming Euro 2020 and Nations League campaign, these teams will still be formidable opponents for the Atlas Lions, along with Croatia and perhaps up-and-comers Canada, who have their own star players just beginning their ascent.
Preparations for Morocco will have been disrupted, for better or worse, by the sacking of their head coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, in August, only three months before the start of the tournament. Halilhodzic had long been a controversial figure at the helm, and player relations, as well as a disappointing AFCON run in 2021 which saw Morocco eliminated in the quarter-finals against Egypt, were cited as reason’s for the coach’s exit.
This is the third time in which Halilhodzic has been in a similar position ahead of a World Cup: he was sacked by Ivory Coast less than four months before South Africa 2010, and was replaced as Japan’s head coach in early 2018, after leading all three countries successfully through tournament qualifiers. Halilhodzic has been replaced by former national team player Walid Regragui, who managed Wydad AC to win the African Champions League in May 2022.
Morocco World Cup squad 2022
World Cup squads are usually formally announced around six weeks before the World Cup starts. This year the World Cup will run from November 20 – December 18.
However, one notable international omission was expected to be Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech. Ziyech, who was born in the Netherlands and represented the Dutch national team at under-19 level, was pointedly left out of the squad for World Cup qualifiers in September 2021, with former coach Vahid Halilhodzic publicly accusing Ziyech of arriving late, feigning injury, and having a bad attitude.
He was not picked for the 2021 African Cup of Nations, and Halilhodzic clarified his position by stating: “I don’t select a player who can unbalance the group. Not even if his name is Lionel Messi.”
Ziyech confirmed his retirement from international football in February 2022 after receiving 40 caps and scoring 17 goals, but made a surprise return during September’s international friendlies, starting in the team’s 2-0 victory against Chile.
Who is likely to be the star name in the squad?
Morocco are captained by Romain Saiss, who left Wolves this summer to join Besiktas, where play against team-mate and all-time highest goalscorer Ayoub Al Kaabi, who plays for Super Lig rival Hatayspor.
But the team’s standout player is undoubtedly Achraf Hakimi, who plays at right back for Paris Saint-Germain. Despite being born in Spain, Hakimi first represented Morocco since under-17 level, before making his full debut in 2016. At club level, Hakimi won Serie A with Inter Milan in 2021 before joining the Ligue 1 side in a €60m move which made him the most expensive Moroccan footballer of all time.
What are Morocco’s fixtures?
Morocco will play in Group F in Qatar, against opponents Belgium, Croatia, and Canada.
All times GMT
November 23: Morocco v Croatia, Al Bayt Stadium, 10am (1pm local time)
November 27: Belgium v Morocco, Al Thumama Stadium, 1pm (4pm local time)
December 1: Canada v Morocco, Al Thumama Stadium, 3pm (7pm local time)
What is Morocco’s World Cup record?
As an independent nation, Morocco has taken part in five World Cup finals, competing before 1958 as part of France. Their highest finish came in 1986, when they progressed from the group stage to play West Germany in Mexico. They were knocked-out by the eventual finalists 1-0.
Latest odds
Morocco are currently 200/1 to win World Cup 2022.
The leading contenders…
- Brazil 4/1
- France 6/1
- Argentina 7/1
- England 7/1
