Mueez Ajao
– Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech has suggested he has quit international football for good after a falling-out with Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic.
– The 28-year-old has not played for the Atlas Lions since June last year, and was omitted from the squad for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
– “I will not return to the national team, and this is my final decision,” Ziyech said.
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– “I am focussing on what I am doing with my club.”
– Since featuring against Ghana and Burkina Faso last June Ziyech has been involved in a war of words with Bosnian Halilhodzic regarding his availability for international duty.
– The former Ajax man missed all six group-stage fixtures in Morocco’s World Cup qualifying campaign, and it appears Halilhodzic does not intend to select Ziyech for the two-legged play-off against the Democratic Republic of Congo for a spot in Qatar next month.
– Morocco, who are looking to qualify for a second successive World Cup, were beaten quarter-finalists at the Nations Cup in Cameroon.
– “Everyone has seen what happened in the last period,” Ziyech added.
– “I am sad but this is my final decision.
– “The coach of the national team made his decision, and in any case I respect it. My focus now, as I said, is only on Chelsea.”
– Ziyech is with the Blues in Abu Dhabi as the Premier League club prepare to face Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Wednesday.
– He was born in the Netherlands and represented them at youth international level, but switched allegiance to Morocco in 2015.
– He won 39 caps for the North Africans and scored 17 goals.
