Walid Regragui has officially stepped down as Morocco’s head coach, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation confirmed on Thursday, March 5, ending a three-year tenure that redefined what African football could achieve on the global stage.
Regragui cited the team’s need for “a fresh face, a different energy, and a new perspective” as the reason behind his exit, framing the decision as one made in the interest of the team rather than a concession of failure.
His departure comes less than 100 days before the World Cup kicks off across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The trigger was Morocco’s defeat in the 2025 AFCON final, where a missed Brahim Diaz panenka in the dying stages handed Senegal victory in extra time, ending Morocco’s hopes of a first continental title in 50 years on home soil. The loss landed particularly hard given the weight of expectation Regragui himself had built.
Under his leadership, Morocco became the first African and Arab team to reach a World Cup semi-final, losing to France in 2022. A record 19 consecutive wins also included lifting the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar.
Mohamed Ouahbi has been confirmed as his replacement, announced by federation president Fouzi Lekjaa at the same press conference. The 49-year-old Belgian-Moroccan spent 17 years at Anderlecht’s academy before joining Morocco’s youth setup in 2022, leading the U-20s to a historic World Cup title against Argentina in Chile last October. It will be his first role managing a senior side.
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“I’m not here to build, because the foundations are already in place. I’m here to keep performing,” Ouahbi said. Former Jose Mourinho assistant Joao Sacramento, who has worked at PSG, Tottenham, and Roma, is set to join as assistant coach.
Morocco face Ecuador on March 27 and Paraguay on March 31 as warm-up fixtures, before entering World Cup Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti
