فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Walid Regragui, along with his assistant Rachid Benmahmoud, traveled to Doha and attended the match between Al-Duhail and Al-Sadd. During this visit, the national team coach met with Hakim Ziyech and revealed to him the real reasons why he is no longer being called up to the national team.
Indeed, the Moroccan international has not been called up since last September, during the match against Lesotho as part of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
According to Assabah, Regragui assured Ziyech that his exclusion was due to a decline in his physical condition and not because of his personal stances, which the coach considers part of his private life. “The coach assured him that he wanted to give him time to gain more playing time with Al-Duhail and regain his confidence after his stint at Galatasaray. He also informed him that he would not be able to call him up for the upcoming preparation camp for the matches against Tanzania and Niger, as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers,” the Arabic-language daily reported.
However, Walid Regragui promised Hakim Ziyech that he would participate in the June camp for the friendly matches against Benin and Tunisia, as part of the preparations for the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to take place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
It is worth recalling that rumors recently circulated suggesting that Hakim Ziyech had decided to retire from international football.
Contacted by Le Site info, an official within the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) stated that these claims are entirely false. “Hakim Ziyech has not contacted the Federation or the national team coach to inform them of such a decision. The player has not even announced it on his social media. The rumors circulating are baseless,” our source concluded.
