Official: Ziyech Headlines Morocco World Cup Squad

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has named his final 2022 FIFA World Cup squad with Chelsea playmaker Hakim Ziyech included.

The 29-year-old ended his self-imposed exile from the national team after Regragui was appointed as Vahid Halilhodžić’s successor – with whom he had a major fallout last year.

Having been roped into the national team after winning the CAF Champions League and Botola Pro with Wydad Atheltic Club, Regragui has galvanised the spirit of the Atlas Lions who enter the competition as one of the real hopes of Africa alongside Senegal to progress past the group stages.

At the previous showpiece, Russia 2018, no African nation qualified for the knockout stages – but the likes of Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi. Sofyan Amrabat, Youssef En-Nesyri, and Ziyech forming the spine of the squad – there’s optimism that they could compete alongside a fearsome Group F that features Croatia, Belgium, and Canada.

However, there was a big talking after Munir El Haddadi of Getafe was not selected, despite fighting for years to switch his international allegiance from Spain to Morocco.

The North Africans open their campaign against the 2018 runners-up on Croatia Wednesday, 23 November at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, with Belgium and Canada the other teams in their Group F.

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Morocco squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla), Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca).

Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Romain Saiss (Besiktas), Achraf Dari (Brest), Badr Benoun (Qatar SC), Yahia Attiyat Allah (Wydad Casablanca), Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham)

Midfielders: Younes Belhanda (Adana Demirspor), Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina), Azzedine Ounahi (Angers), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria), Iselim Amallah (Standard Liege), Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca)

Forwards: Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea), Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Walid Cheddira (Bari), Sofiane Boufal (Angers), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna), Amine Harit (Marseille), Ilias Chair (QPR), Abelzrak Hamdallah (Al-Ittihad)