FIFA World Cup 2022: Who is the manager of the Morocco football team at Qatar WC?

Born to Moroccan parents in Paris, Regragui plied his trade in France, playing for Toulouse, AC Ajaccio and Grenoble, and Racing Santander in Spain.

FILE PHOTO: Al Duhail coach Walid Regragui speaks with his players during the AFC Champions League Group C match against Al-Taawoun, at the Education City Stadium in the Qatari city of Ar-Rayyan on September 24, 2020.  | Photo Credit: AFP

A former national team defender, between 2001 and 2009, Walid Regragui played 45 matches for Morocco. Born to Moroccan parents in Paris, he plied his trade in France, playing for Toulouse, AC Ajaccio and Grenoble, and Racing Santander in Spain.

Regragui became associated with Atlas Lions in 2012-13 when he assisted Rachid Taoussi. After a one-year stint, he was sacked as part of Taoussi’s coaching panel.

As he needed to gain knowledge of the local players, Regragui worked in the Moroccan league, Botola, and took FUS Rabat to its first league title in 2016. In 2020, he managed Qatari side Al Duhail SC and won the Stars League. But his biggest triumph came when he guided Morrocan club Wydad AC to the African Champions League title in 2022.

Morocco 🇲🇦 in group F !
Here are the teams that will face Morocco in the group stage of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Qatar here we come 🇶🇦👊🏻#DimaMaghrib#WCQ2022#TeamMoroccopic.twitter.com/goco3e9rby

— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) April 1, 2022

Shortly after that triumph, the Moroccan FA called him back and appointed him head coach in August. To pave his way, it sacked former head coach Vahid Halilhodzic, who had already ensured Morocco’s qualification to Qatar 2022.

Halilhodzic had done a great job reforming the Moroccan team, building a new one with a mix of young and experienced players. But a poor outing at the Africa Cup of Nations and a dispute with the star forward Hakim Ziyech cost him the job, leaving Regragui to manage the team.

This is Morocco’s second consecutive World Cup after missing the last four. The Atlas Lions topped its qualifying group and beat DR Congo 5-2 on aggregate in the playoff to seal its spot in the Qatar World Cup.

pic.twitter.com/yHaBGsO0Xw

— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) November 15, 2022

Regragui retained the team that Halilhodzic built, with the likes of Romain Saiss, Achraf Hakimi and Yassine Bounou bringing in experience, having played at the 2018 Russia World Cup. But a last-minute injury to Amine Harit appeared to be a big blow to Walid ahead of his coaching debut at the FIFA World Cup.

The 47-year-old coach deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation. Under Regragui’s coaching, Morocco would look to better its 1986 World Cup showing when it advanced to the pre-quarterfinals despite being clubbed in a tough group that had England, Portugal and Poland.