Morocco Appoints Ouahbi as Coach After Regragui Steps Down

In Rabat, Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announced on Thursday that Walid Regragui has stepped down as head coach of the national team, with Mohamed Ouahbi appointed as his successor less than four months before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The change comes amid preparations for the tournament, which begins on June 11 and runs through July 19. Regragui, 50, had guided the Atlas Lions to historic success since taking charge in August 2022, including a semifinal appearance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the deepest run ever by an African or Arab nation. Under his leadership, Morocco also secured the Arab Cup and saw youth teams claim the Africa Cup of Nations title, while the senior squad established a world-record streak of 19 consecutive victories from June 2024 to December 2025. His overall record stood at 36 wins, eight draws and five losses in 49 matches.

The departure followed a 1-0 loss to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, a dramatic extra-time defeat on home soil that ended Morocco's hopes of a first continental title since 1976. The match drew controversy when Senegal briefly refused to...