Mueez Ajao
– Hakim Ziyech has been recalled to the Morocco national side for their upcoming friendlies against Chile and Paraguay, potentially ending a 15-month absence.
– Chelsea winger Ziyech, who is one of his country’s most recognisable names, has been selected by new head coach Walid Regragui.
– Ziyech, 29, fell out with Regragui’s predecessor, Valid Halilhodzic, and in February announced his retirement from the national team after being left out of the squads for the World Cup qualifying campaign and the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Halilhodzic had said his reason for dropping Ziyech was that the winger faked injury and displayed “unacceptable behaviour”.
Also Read: Ziyech announces retirement from Morocco
– Halilhodzic was dismissed as Morocco manager in August with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation citing “differences and divergent visions”.
– Ziyech has 17 goals and 10 assists in 40 international caps and was part of the 2018 World Cup side.
– There is also a return to the squad for Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui, who has not played for Morocco since October 2020 after also falling out with Halilhodzic.
– The pair could feature against Chile in Barcelona on September 23 and Paraguay in Seville four days later in their first matches under Regragui.
– It is a timely return ahead of Morocco’s World Cup campaign, where they have been drawn in Group F with Belgium, Canada and Croatia.
Full squad list;
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou, Munir El Kajoui, Anis Zniti, Reda Tagnaouti
Defenders: Romain Saiss, Samy Mmaee, Jawad El Yamiq, Achraf Dari, Badr Benoun, Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Yahia Attiyat Allah
Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat, Yahya Jabrane, Azeddine Ounahi, Selim Amallah, Younes Belhanda, Amine Harit, Ilias Chair, Abdelhamid Sabiri
Forwards: Hakim Ziyech, Munir El Haddadi, Soufiane Rahimi, Abde Ezzalzouli, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Sofiane Boufal, Ryan Mnaee, Youssef En-Nesyri, Walid Cheddira
— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) September 12, 2022
