Morocco national team announces Mohamed Ouahbi as new coach less than 100 days before the World Cup By Beatriz
3 min read
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The selection of Marrocos has a new technical commander. Mohamed Ouahbi, 49 years old, takes over from Walid Regragui. The move comes less than 100 days before the start of Copa from Mundo 2026.
Ouahbi arrives with a recent resume of success in the youth categories. Ele led the Sub-20 team to the Mundial category title in 2025. The victory in the final was against Argentina. Agora he inherits a squad that is experiencing the best moment in the history of Moroccan football.
Mudança in technical command surprises less than four months before the tournament
Futebol’s Federação Real Marroquina confirmed the departure of Walid Regragui and the internal promotion of Ouahbi. Regragui managed the team to a historic fourth-place campaign at the 2022 Copa. Ele remained in charge after the tournament at Catar.
The decision was announced at a press conference attended by the president of the federation, Fouzi Lekjaa. The 49-year-old coach takes on the first role in the main team of his career. Antes, he worked in the lower categories and spent time at Anderlecht and Bélgica.
- Mohamed Ouahbi is 49 years old
- Comandou the Moroccan Sub-20 to the 2025 world title
- Substitui Walid Regragui, responsible for fourth place in 2022
- Primeira experience as a senior national team coach
The moment demands stability. Marrocos is looking to repeat or surpass recent performance in a tough group.
Elenco merges veteran experience with new generation
Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech lead the group of players with the most appearances in Copas. Cada one has 10 games in the tournament. Ziyech still boasts the fastest goal in Copas history, scored in 3min30s.
Youssef En-Nesyri appears as the main reference in the attack. Ele adds three goals to Mundiais. The team can count on the defensive solidity that marked the 2022 campaign. Ouahbi must maintain the collective standard while injecting pace from the base.
The federation sees the 2026 edition as a bridge to the Mundial in 2030, when Marrocos will be one of the venues. Esta will be the seventh Moroccan participation in Copas. Pela for the first time, the country reaches three consecutive editions.
Grupo C poses challenges right from its debut
Marrocos fell into Grupo C alongside Brasil, Escócia and Haiti. The debut will be against the Brazilian team. The game is scheduled for June 13th at 7pm (Brasília time) on MetLife Stadium on Nova York.
Next, the team travels to Boston. Enfrenta to Escócia on June 19th, also at 7pm, on Gillette Stadium. The last commitment of the first phase occurs at Atlanta. Marrocos catches Haiti on June 24th at 7pm on Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The reunion with Brasil gains extra weight. The Moroccans beat the Canarian team 2-1 in a friendly in 2023.
Caminho history fuels expectations for 2026
Marrocos debuted in Mundiais in 1970. Desde then accumulated important marks. Foi the first African country to top a group and reach the semi-finals. In 2022, he stopped competing for third place.
Após the runner-up in Copa Africana of Nações of 2025, the pressure to advance in the knockout stage grew. Ouahbi arrives with the mission of maintaining a solid defense and improving offensive performance.
Preparation includes mixing youth and experience. The coach knows several athletes from the youth teams. Isso can accelerate the adaptation to the playing style.
Detalhes from the agenda in Grupo C
- Brasil x Marrocos: 06/13, 7pm (Brasília) – MetLife Stadium, Nova York
- Escócia x Marrocos: 06/19, 7pm (Brasília) – Gillette Stadium, Boston
- Marrocos x Haiti: 06/24, 7pm (Brasília) – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
The first two placed advance directly. The third may move on to the next phase depending on overall performance. Marrocos enters as one of the main African forces.
The federation is betting that the internal exchange preserves the game’s identity. Ouahbi has already demonstrated the ability to extract results in high-level competitions with young people. Agora the test is in the main.
The team arrives at América from Norte with consolidated status. The declared objective is to confirm growth and aim for the knockout stage as a minimum goal.
