Walid Regragui steps down months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Africa Cup of Nations disappointment.
Walid Regragui left his position as head coach of the Morocco national football team with immediate effect. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation accepted his resignation. Reports from journalist Fabrizio Romano and French newspaper L’Equipe confirmed the development on March 5 2026.
Following Morocco’s loss in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal, Walid Regragui submitted his resignation. Sources reported that he cited exhaustion from the intense campaign on home soil.
Walid Regragui took over the team in August 2022. He guided Morocco to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Atlas Lions became the first African country to reach that stage in the competition.
Moreover his leadership turned Morocco into one of the top teams on the continent. The side climbed to eighth in the FIFA world rankings, the highest position ever for an African nation.
The departure created a transition period for the national team. Federation officials tipped Mohamed Ouahbi as the favorite to become the new head coach. Ouahbi previously coached the under-20 team to success.
Additionally, the change happened ahead of important preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Morocco secured qualification for the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Federation officials completed the administrative processes recently. They planned to hold a press conference to announce the successor soon.
