Meet Morocco head coach Walid Regragui

• Morocco head coach Walid Regragui is the man who guided the North African nation to making history in Qatar. 
• Walid Regragui was appointed as Morocco head coach on August 31, 2022, after the sacking of Vahid Halilhodzic. 
• Critics were unhappy with Walid’s appointment, but he proved them wrong as he guided Morocco to finishing fourth in the just-ended World Cup. 

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui is the man who guided the North African nation to making history in Qatar. 

Morocco became the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup tournament. Their road to the semi-finals was not an easy one, as they faced some of the best teams in the world.

Walid Regragui thrown in the air and dropped by Morocco players. Photo/ Daily Express.

Morocco emerged on top of Group F, which had Croatia, Belgium and Morocco. They secured a 0-0 draw against Croatia in their first match before defeating Belgium and Canada. 

In the round of 16, the Atlas Lions defeated Spain in the penalty shootouts after a goalless draw. Not even Portugal, who Morocco faced in the quarter-finals, were able to stop their dreams of advancing to the semis. 

Morocco’s impressive run at the World Cup came to a halt when they met France. They suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the 2018 World Cup winners. 

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui deserves praise for his side’s outstanding run, which came to an end just one step from reaching the finals. 

Without further ado, let’s discuss Walid Regragui’s early life, football career and managerial career. 

Early Life And Playing Days

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui was born on September 23, 1975, in Corbeil-Essonnes, France. 

He began his football career at Corbeil-Essonnes academy before joining Racing Paris in 1998, where he first played professionally. 

Walid Regragui played in the defensive area as a right-back or centre-back. After one season with Racing Paris, Walid Regragui joined Toulouse, where he spent two seasons making 37 appearances and scoring three goals. 

He joined Ajaccio in 2001 and helped the French side win the Division 2 title in his first season. Walid left Ajaccio in 2004 after making 72 appearances and scoring three goals. 

The talented defender joined Racing Santander, where he continued with his impressive performance. He later played for Dijon, Grenoble and Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco. 

At Grenoble, Walid was teammates with France striker Olivier Giroud. 

Walid Regragui represented Morocco in international matches and was part of the squad that reached the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2004. He made 45 appearances for the Atlas Lions. 

The legend announced his retirement from professional football in 2009. During his playing days, Walid Regragui was described as a player with six lungs. 

He was extremely strong and had a lot of character. The Moroccan international covered large areas of the pitch during matches. 

Well, it is not surprising that his Morocco team has been doing the same at the World Cup tournament in Qatar. 

Coaching Career 

According to Lucas Alcaraz, Walid Regragui showed signs of becoming a great coach just from how he said and did things. Lucas was Walid’s coach at Racing Santander in Spain. 

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui began his managerial career in September 2012. He was the assistant coach of Morocco’s national team. 

He also spent several seasons in Rabat coaching Fath Union Sports (FUS), where he developed his managerial skills.

Walid gained his coaching license in 2014 and left FUS by mutual consent in January 2020. He joined the Qatari club Al-Duhail and led the team to win their seventh Qatar Stars League title. 

However, the team performed poorly at the AFC Champions League, where they were knocked out on the group stage. 

Al-Duhail dismissed Walid Regragui after being in charge for nine months. He stayed a few months without a team before Wydad came knocking. 

Walid Regragui guided the Botola side to win their third CAF Champions League title on May 30 2022. He became the second Moroccan manager to win the African Champions League. The first was Hussein Ammouta, who won the title with Wydad in 2017. 

Walid Regragui was appointed as Morocco head coach on August 31, 2022, after the sacking of Vahid Halilhodzic.

Walid Regragui. Photo/ 24hfootnews.

Critics were unhappy with Walid’s appointment, but he proved them wrong as he guided Morocco to finishing fourth in the just-ended World Cup.