Off-field upheaval leaves questions to be answered

GETTINGE rid of yoour head coach thhree months before a major toournament is rarely a recipe for success but Morocco hope that by ending a long-running powerp struggle they are in a beetter position to improve on a woeful World Cup recoord.

The road to QatarQ couldn’t have bbeen much smoother for thhe Atlas Lions, who possted a 100 per cent recordd in their qualification grroup before brushing asidee DR Congo in the playoffs.

And yet off thhe field, all was not well with brusqueb head coach Vahid Halilhodzic constantly at odds with his employer over his treatment of Morocco’s star players.

Noussair Maazraoui and Hakim Ziyech werew exiled by Halilhodzic folllowing disputes and their absennce was keenly felt during a teppid showing at last winter’s Affrica Cup of Nations.

Morocco werre sent packing by Egypt in thee AFCON quarter-finals aand the writing was on the walll from that point for Halilhhodzic, who was also sacked as Japan coach two months beefore the 2018 World Cup.

Walid Regraagui, a hero of domestic foottball after guiding Wydaad Athletic Club to African Chaampions League glory in May, iss now in charge and one of his first acts was to immediately recall Mazraoui and Ziyech.

However, neither have been in great form domestically, enjoying sporadic game time for Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively, and a lack of form at club level is a worrying trend prevalent among some of Morocco’s more recognisable names. Only dynamic PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi has bucked the trend with strong showings.

The inexperienced Regragui will be expected to coax more out of his big names, who stand out in an otherwise workman-like squad that was tough to beat under Halilhodzic, losing twice inside 90 minutes since 2019.

DLA surprise appointment when handed the job in 2017, Dalic has fully justified the faith in him. The 56-year-old prefers a measured, possession-based style but hasn’t always found that easy to implement and has often switched to a more direct approach recently.

• Tough to beat. Croatia have lost one of their last 18 matches inside 90 minutes

• Midfield, led by the ageless

Modric, oozes class

• Playing Morocco and Canada first gives Croatia the chance to qualify before their final group game against Belgium

• Lack of strength in depth

in key areas

• Weakness up front means a

reliance on midfield for goals • Susceptible at set-pieces