Vahid Halilhodzic has assumed the role as the new manager of the Moroccan national team. The Atlas Lions will be able to bank on the experience of the 67-year-old, who has spent one season with Nantes. The Bosnian has also played for Nantes. He boasts a remarkable experience when it comes to management in club and international football. He was able to witness to successfully World Cup qualification campaigns with Ivory Coast in Japan, while Algeria were taken to the knockout stages under his leadership in Brazil 2014.
The 67-year-old has claimed that coaching Morocco is a huge responsibility and honour. The primary task for the new manager is to qualify for the World Cup 2022. He has also set a personal target of trying to reach the World Cup 2022 with a fourth different team. Vahid Halilhodzic is no stranger to Morocco after having been in charge of Raja Casablanca, who managed to pick up CAF champions league success in 1997. Morocco witnessed Herve Renard present from his position after the loss to Benin in the Africa Cup of Nations game. Renard’s World Cup were able to reach the World Cup 2018 in Russia but they did not get past the group stages. It also happens to be the first finals achieved by the team since 1998.
The major test for Morocco is the game against Liberia that will take place on September 29. Morocco have been able to get a bye from the second round of the qualification campaign as a result of being the fifth highest ranked team in Africa. The friendlies for the team against Burkina Faso and Niger in the month of September will also provide a great insight into the team for the new manager. The team has been able to function extremely well in the last few years andHalilhodzic has a good crop of players.