Chelsea’s wing wizard Hakim Ziyech has announced his retirement from international team duty following his recent snub from the Africa Cup of Nations where head coach Vahid Halilhodžić failed to include him in the Morocco team chosen to participate in the continental tourney held in Cameroon.Ziyech and the Bosnian head coach have been at loggerheads since mid-last year where Halilhodžić fired incessant salvos at Ziyech’s attitude in the national team as he even accused the winger of faking an injury so as not to play for the team.“Ziyech’s behaviour does not fit the selection. He does not want to train, does not want to play. He does not take it seriously. I am not going to beg him to come back. For the first time in my coaching career, I saw a national team player who does not want to train and claims to be injured, although tests have shown he can play. I will not tolerate it,” the coach said just days before AFCON started.AFCON 2021: Halilhodzic on Ziyech – ‘I’m not going to beg him to come back’With Halilhodzic suggesting he had no intention of selecting the attacker for the World Cup qualification playoff tie against the Democratic Republic of Congo in March, Ziyech announced that he will not be playing any further role in the national team.“I will not be returning to the national team. It is my final decision. It is all clear to me how things are going over there and I am focusing on what I am doing and that right now is my club. It was a decision he [Halilhodzic] made and you have to respect it. But then if all the lying comes with it… for me it is clear and I will not return to the national team. I feel sorry for (the fans), but that is the situation right now,” the player told Chelsea media.Hakim Ziyech has announced his retirement from international football with Morocco aged just 28. pic.twitter.com/WHoRURWg2y— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 8, 2022 The Dutch-born Ziyech already has a history of quarrels with previous national team coaches. Herve Renard left him out of the squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals, also because of his attitude.After the two held a ‘clear the air’ meeting in Amsterdam, Ziyech returned to the squad after almost a year’s absence and was selected to go to the 2018 World Cup.The former Ajax forward represented Netherlands at youth level before making his senior debut for Morocco in 2018. He won 40 caps and scored 17 goals for his country, with his last appearance coming in June 2021 in a 1-0 friendly win over Burkina Faso.
