The tea towel burns between Hakim Ziyech and Vahid Halilhodzic. The Morocco coach has removed the Chelsea attacking midfielder from the first list of 25 Atlas Lions players selected for the next African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, unveiled Thursday, December 23. The final list will however be known by December 30.
The bad understanding between Ziyech and his coach dates back to last summer. The Moroccan international fell out with the Lions coach who criticized him for his indiscipline. “Group cohesion is very fragile and certain bad behaviors can destabilize“, underlined Halilhodzic to explain his choice to do without Ziyech.” Ithere is a good atmosphere (…) I will not allow anyone to spoil this“, he added at a press conference near Rabat. On the other hand, the Parisian side Achraf Hakimi, the Sevillian striker Youssef En-Nesyri and the Barcelona right winger Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, of whom it is the first selection, are among the players selected by Vahid Halilhodzic.
Introducing your #AltasLions for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021! Ready to get going! #DimaMaghrib #AtlasLions #Morocco # AFCON2021 #Cameroon pic.twitter.com/l64H0DpcAm
– Morocco team (@EnMaroc) December 23, 2021
As for the CAN, the objective is to “make the best possible result“.”The players are determined and ambitious“, continued the former Nantes coach. Morocco will face Ghana in Group C on January 10, the Comoros on January 14 and Gabon on January 18.
Goalkeepers (3): Yassine Bounou (Sevilla FC / ESP), Munir El Kajoui (Hatayspor / TUR), Anas Zniti (Raja de Casablanca)
Defenders (8): Soufiane Chakla (OH Louvain / BEL), Samy Mmaee (Ferencváros / HUN), Ghanem Saïss (Wolverhampton / ENG), Nayef Aguerd (Stade Rennais / FRA), Achraf Hakimi (PSG / FRA), Souffian El Karouani (NEC Nijmegen / NED ), Adam Massina (Watford / ENG) and Sofiane Alakouch (FC Metz / FRA)
Midfielders (7): Fayçal Fajr (Sivasspor / TUR), Soufiane Amrabat (Fiorentina / ITA), Aymane Barkok (Frankfurt / GER), Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers / ENG) Imran Louza (Watford / ENG), Azzedine Ounahi (SCO Angers / FRA, Selim Amallah (Standard de Liège / BEL)
Forwards (7): Soufiane Boufal (SCO Angers / FRA), Munir Haddadi (Sevilla FC / ESP), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla FC / ESP), Ryan Mmaee (Ferencváros / HUN), Ayoub El Kaabi (Hatayspor / TUR), Zakaria Boukhlal (AZ Alkmaar / NED), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (FC Barcelona / ESP)