The Bosnian coach did not give a press conference before the match against South Africa and there are already rumours of his successor in the post

Halilhodzic agrava su relación con Marruecos y Argelia podría ser su nuevo destino

photo_camera AFP/KENZO TRIBOUILLARD - Bosnian coach of Morocco Vahid Halilhodzic

Vahid Halilhodzic's relationship with the Moroccan Football Federation has escalated to the point where the Desert Eagles' supporters are preparing a boycott of their national team on social media to force the Bosnian's sacking.

Their round of matches ahead of the World Cup in Qatar began with a heavy defeat to the United States in a friendly. Halilhodzic justified himself by saying that "we have learned a lot", although the lack of connection with the squad before and after the game was already evident. 

The crisis in Morocco comes ahead of the match against South Africa, the first match they play to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. The Bosnian coach did not hold a press conference before the game, preferring to speak to the Moroccan federation's own media. The gesture was harshly criticised on social media and there is already talk of sanctions by the Confederation of African Football because it is compulsory to attend to the media before official matches.

Halilhodzic preferred to protect himself from journalists who were going to ask about his future with Morocco and the refusal of players like Ziyech to join training camps while he is still in charge. Two controversies that have put the president Fouzi Lekjaa in a delicate situation, who already hinted at the problems when he commented in January that "we expected Hakim to be a player who would lead the national team and lead it to success, not a player who waits to receive the ball without making any effort. What happened with the coach? I don't want to go into details". 

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The situation is made worse by reports in the Algerian press that the coach could return to lead his national team as he did between 2011 and 2014 with a significant winning percentage. The last 16 of the World Cup in Russia was the most important achievement. They lost in extra time to Germany. This news further aggravates the already strained historical relations between the two countries.

There is even talk that Halilhodzic could end up as Galatasaray coach next season. A move to Turkey would see him leave Morocco before the World Cup and perhaps even before the start of the CAN qualifiers. 

Halilhodzic's resignation has not caught the Moroccan press off guard and they are already talking about his replacement. Everything points to Walid Regragui as the next tenant of the Moroccan bench, which would also make him the highest paid coach in Africa. 

Selección de Marruecos

The current coach of Wydad Athletic Club Casablanca has won the African Champions League this season and was Morocco's assistant coach between 2012 and 2013 with Rachid Taoussi at the helm. 

The Moroccan federation would be happy to present itself to the world with a home-grown coach and, in the process, a squad where peace reigns. Without Halilhodzic in the dugout, Morocco would have the best team with great players to do well at Qatar 2022.

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