Coach Vahid Halilhodzic, who led Morocco to the 2022 World Cup, said his decision not to pick Chelsea attacker Hakim Ziyech and Ajax full-back Noussair Mazraoui is a “finished story”.When asked if he would recall the two players for the World Cup in Qatar, the experienced coach said that he doesn’t want unprofessional people near his squad.”The player who refuses to train, who refuses to play, who fakes injuries, for me it’s a finished story.”Croatian Media 🇭🇷 reports, that Vahid #Halilhodzic will be sacked next week when he returns to 🇲🇦.He doesn’t want to solve the problems with Mazraoui, Ziyech and others.The report quote a Moroccan media, but don’t name them. So should be verified. Via @Nethr, RTL Group pic.twitter.com/D7GO2bs8z7— MorFootball (@morfootball_) April 21, 2022 Ziyech and Mazraoui were omitted from the qualifying play-off matches against the Democratic Republic of Congo last month. Neither player was part of the squad that reached the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations in Morocco in Cameroon in January.Last week the head of the Moroccan football federation Fouzi Lekjaa said that the doors of the national team remained “open to all Moroccan players, regardless of their differences”. But, for Halilhodzic, a former Nantes and Paris Saint-German player, the “national team is something sacred” which “does not belong to the players but to the entire people”. “And then, when someone behaves like this, for me this story is over and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’ve made such a decision. The fact that someone thinks differently is their business.”Saturday, 14.30: (2.19) Arsenal (3.50) Man.Utd. (3.60)Ziyech said in February that he was retiring from international football after a dispute with Halilhodzic, who accused him of a lack of respect that he said could “blow up the team”.Despite World Cup qualification, Halilhodzic has been criticised in Morocco for his tactics and rumours have circulated of his possible departure. The coach may leave his post, but he won’t go back on his decision.”We’ll see. Many strange things have already happened in my life… If someone thinks differently that’s his business. If they are not satisfied with me, it’s not the first time we separate”.According to multiple reports by the Moroccan 🇲🇦 media, the Moroccan football federation could part ways with head coach Vahid Halilhodžić over his unwillingness to reconcile with Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui❌#Morocco#Maroc #برشلونه_فرانكفورت #soccer #Africa #Newsnight pic.twitter.com/SDjZuzpl4n— Panafricafootball.com (@PanAfricaFooty) April 21, 2022 Morocco qualified for the World Cup last month after strolling through a play-off against the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Qatar, they will face Croatia, Belgium and Canada in Group F.Halilhodzic said he considered Croatia, who were runers-up at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the group favourite but pledged his team would do everything to beat them.
