Morocco coach Walid Regragui has compared Hakim Ziyech to Neymar and Kylian Mbappe when explaining why he needs to give his winger “special love”.
The 47-year-old replaced Vahid Halilhodzic two-and-a-half months ahead of the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has made some impressive changes to the team.
Among his actions was a recall of Ziyech, who had announced his international retirement in February after clashing with Halilhodzic, and it has paid off.
Regragui and his team have re-written history after qualifying for the quarter-finals at the World Cup for the very first time, with Regragui becoming the first ever African coach to do so.
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After his side’s penalty shootout win over Spain, Regragui again discussed why he is dishing out special treatment to Ziyech – comparing him to the likes of Neymar and Mbappe.
“What he’s doing is tremendous. The Moroccan people wanted to see him and were encouraging him and he responded to that,” he said as per GWFN.
“We need to give him responsibility and he needs to be loved. It’s like Neymar for Brazil, Mbappé for France, you can’t just see him as another player, he’s your best player.
“Some coaches say all players should be treated equally but that’s not the case. Hakim is not just another player, I show him love and respect because it’s what he deserves.
“Like Achraf Hakimi, the other players as well. They’ve shown they are prepared to give everything for the national team when they play.”
