The football world cup is just around the corner. In Lions Voetbalzone discusses all the vicissitudes surrounding the tournament with former football players and they watch live with the the Dutch Lions and the Moroccan Lions of the Atlas. In this preview, twelve-time international Ali Boussaboun and former football adventurer Jos Hooiveld join us to talk about their expectations, surprises and favorite line-up of the national teams.
At the Lions of the Atlas peace has returned since the appointment of the Moroccan-French national coach Walid Regragui. The trainer won the Moroccan national title with Widad AC last season, as well as the African Champions League. “He knows what is being asked in African and European football,” says Boussaboun about the leader who spent his own football career in France and Spain. The era of his predecessor Vahid Halilhodzic was marked by the conflicts with Noussair Mazraoui and Hakim Ziyech, among others, who therefore did not take action for months. “He wanted to play the boss, but you have to know your place as a trainer. It’s not a daycare.”
That degree of hierarchy is now decisive, according to the former attacker of Feyenoord, among others. “Regragui is really a people manager, then things will run smoothly between the players,” he says about the coach with whom he himself played at Morocco. The former right back now has to choose between two of his star players in the same position: Noussair Mazraoui and Achraf Hakimi.
“I would put Hakimi on the left back, he also played there at Borussia Dortmund. Such players should play both anyway.” The fact that Mazraoui can also play in midfield is not applicable, according to Boussaboun. “They have enough midfielders. This trainer plays from a strong base. The defense has to be good.”
Another issue is the striker. In the current selection, Ziyech is the top scorer with seventeen goals. “I put Youssef En-Nesyri in the striker. I hope he can find his form,” says Boussaboun. The 25-year-old attack leader of Seville has only scored twice in fifteen games this season. For Morocco he scored 14 goals in 49 international matches. All in all, Boussaboun is positive about Morocco’s chances in the group. “Belgium is not untouchable, it turned out. Croatia has many players over thirty and need to renew. I don’t know Canada that well, although they won’t be there for nothing.”
Ali Boussaboun’s favorite line-up for Morocco
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