Renard Calls Back 3 Former Internationals Ahead of 2 Friendly Matches

Hervé Renard, the coach of the national Moroccan football team, is planning to reintegrate three players into the team, who will face Tunisia and Burkina Faso in friendly matches later this month.

Renard is expected to call back Spanish club Deportivo Alavés’ Zouhair Feddal, French Dijon FCO’s Yunis Abdelhamid, and Abdelhamid El Kaoutari, who currently plays for Bastia in the French Ligue 1.

The three footballers had already played for Morocco in previous matches but were absent during the 2017 African Cup of Nations (CAN 2017). They are expected to participate in the matches against Burkina Faso on March 24 and Tunisia on March 28, announced the Royal Moroccan Federation of Soccer (FRMF) in February. Both matches will take place in Marrakech.

The matches are part of Morocco’s preparation the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, in which Morocco is set to play against Mali on August 28.

During the two friendly matches, Renar, is also set to reintegrate AFC Ajax star, Hakim Ziyech, into the national football team after he was ruled out from the CAN 2017.

Renard’s decision to rule out Ziyech from participating in CAN 2017 sparked outrage among fans of Morocco’s national team, especially as Ziyech had been awarded as Holland’s best player for 2016.

In mid-January, former Netherlands striker and manager Marco van Basten had reproached Ziyech for deciding to play for Morocco and not waiting for his chance to be selected by the Netherlands national team.

Morocco ranked 48 in the FIFA global football rankings following its elimination in the quarterfinals against Egypt in the CAN2017 held in Gabon.

Source :Morocco World News