Ouahbi looking to build on Moroccan success
Mohamed Ouahbi will take charge of Morocco at the upcoming World Cup, looking to parlay youth success into a senior surge.
Mohamed Ouahbi will take the reins for Morocco at the FIFA World Cup 2026
Has been appointed in place of former coach Walid Regragui
The Atlas Lions will face Brazil, Scotland and Haiti in Group C
With the FIFA World Cup 2026™ fast approaching, Moroccan football is entering a new era under the stewardship of recently appointed head coach Mohamed Ouahbi, at a time when expectations have soared following the side’s achievements in recent years. Moroccan supporters are no longer content with a respectable showing – they now crave confirmation of the Atlas Lions’ standing on the world stage.
Ouahbi’s appointment at this juncture is underpinned by a significant track record at youth level, particularly after his impressive achievement with the Atlas Cubs at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™, where his side dazzled in winning the title.
The 49-year-old has now been tasked with carrying that youth-level momentum over to the senior side, as the nation heads to the global showpiece with serious title aspirations.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) announced Walid Regragui’s departure after a distinguished tenure, punctuated by that historic run to the final four at Qatar 2022, to usher in a new era of ambition for the national team on both continental and international fronts. Given that the FRMF's project relies on continuity, it made sense to appoint a local coach.
The decision to bring in Ouahbi is a smart, calculated step, primarily aimed at capitalising on the success of the title-winning U-20 side rather than starting from scratch. The appointment also comes at a critical moment, with the North American showpiece coming rapidly into view.
Ouahbi is the latest link in a chain of Moroccan émigrés returning home laden with European coaching expertise. While he never played professionally, the Belgian-born tactician honed his coaching craft at Anderlecht’s academy, where he oversaw various youth sides and achieved solid results.
That, in itself, aligns with the Moroccan Federation’s continuity approach. Former coach Regragui, born in France, also arrived with external ideas that he was able to weld with local influences.
The timing of the recent coaching change brings to mind what happened ahead of the 2022 World Cup, when Regragui took charge shortly before the tournament kicked off. At that time, Regragui managed to quickly unite the squad and guide the Atlas Lions to a historic achievement by reaching the semi-finals.
This time, however, there is a key difference. In Qatar, Morocco were under little pressure and not expected to deliver anything in particular, whereas they head into the 2026 edition with far greater ambitions after their recent exploits.
Although the tight timeframe poses a significant challenge, Ouahbi’s deep familiarity with a wide pool of young players allows him to fast-track the process of building cohesion in an attempt to recreate the spirit of 2022 with a fresh group and younger options.
The international break this March will serve as Ouahbi’s first – and last – test with Morocco before the 2026 World Cup, with the Atlas Lions set to face Ecuador and Paraguay in friendlies.
Several challenges await the new coach, most notably injuries affecting a number of first-team players, leaving him with two options: turn to young players, or rely on stopgap solutions from the old guard.
Beyond tackling the tactical questions, Ouahbi will need to shore up morale by helping his players move on from the departure of a coach with whom they made history in Qatar. All eyes will therefore be on the new man at the helm to see whether he can restore the side’s confidence just months before the global showpiece.
No one will forget the iron-clad defence that defined Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, as Regragui’s men kept clean sheets against Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. Had it not been for injuries in the back-line, the Atlas Lions might well have avoided conceding against France, or Croatia in the third-place play-off.
Regragui’s approach at the time was clear: rely on a low block, then hit opponents with sharp, fast counter-attacks. Ouahbi took a similar approach with the U-20s in Chile, which he executed with the pacy winger Othmane Maamma and lethal striker Yassir Zabiri.
Expect, then, to see Morocco retain some of the foundations that proved successful at Qatar 2022, such as strong defensive organisation and reliance on swift transitions, particularly with quick, skilful players like Brahim Díaz and Abde Ezzalzouli at their disposal.