That gamble worked out pretty well the first time around. Regragui took Morocco to the semi-finals in Qatar, something no African team had ever done before. He became a national icon almost overnight. But football is unforgiving, and what you did two years ago does not count for much when the results stop coming.
So What Went Wrong?
The pressure had been building for a while. Morocco had not won the Africa Cup of Nations since 1976, and the federation was desperate to end that drought, especially with the 2025 edition being held on home soil.
They made the final. They lost.
The match against Senegal was the kind of game that leaves a scar. Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty deep into extra time that could have changed everything. Brahim Diaz stepped up and missed. Senegal had briefly refused to play after the penalty was given, turning the whole thing into a spectacle. Morocco ended up losing 1-0, and the fallout came quickly.
Regragui did not try to spin it. Speaking after his departure was confirmed, he said the team needed "a fresh face, a different energy, and a new perspective." He described his exit as part of the squad's natural evolution rather than a failure, which is the kind of thing coaches say when they are trying to leave with their dignity intact. To be fair to him, he probably has a point.
What Happens Now?
Ouahbi does not have long to make his mark before the tournament begins. Morocco have friendlies against Ecuador and Paraguay during the next international window, which will give him his first proper look at the squad.
Then comes the real test. Morocco open their World Cup campaign on June 13 against Brazil. Five-time world champions. Not exactly the kind of opener that gives a new coach time to ease in.
Scotland will be watching all of this closely. They are in the same group, and a Moroccan side still adjusting to new management could be harder to read than one running a settled system. New coaches bring unpredictability, and that cuts both ways.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi posted a tribute to Regragui on social media, saying he had left "an unforgettable mark on the history of Moroccan football." It was a warm send-off for a coach who genuinely did something remarkable in Qatar. But sentiment only takes you so far, and the federation has decided that what comes next needs a different voice in the dugout.
Whether Ouahbi can pull it together in time is the question nobody can answer yet. The World Cup will not wait for anyone to figure it out.
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