Mohamed Wahbi, the coach of the Moroccan national team, raises high hopes for the team's victory in the World Cup. When Wahbi was studying, one professor claimed that he lacked the skills to teach physical education. However, by coaching Morocco to the World Cup quarterfinals with an attractive playing style, Wahbi completely refuted this opinion.
The Coach's Modern Success
The 49-year-old coach, born in Belgium, has not lost a single match in the tournament so far. On Thursday, Morocco will play in the quarterfinals against two-time World Cup winners France in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Wahbi told the French football magazine Onze Mondial that he clearly remembers his first year of study when the professor thought he was not suited for teaching or communication.
Career and Experience
Since then, Wahbi has proven the opposite. Although he dedicated most of his experience to developing young talents, he had never coached adult players before, except for one season as an assistant at the well-known Belgian club Anderlecht. He established himself working with youth, spending 17 years at Anderlecht, where among his pupils were World Cup stars Yuri Tilemans and Jeremy Dokou. His efforts with young players culminated in success when he led Morocco to the U-20 World Cup title last year.
Morocco defeated France in the semi-finals and won against Argentina in the final. Although the task on Thursday against a strong French team led by superstar Kylian Mbappé is more difficult, Wahbi has gained the trust of former international players. Former Moroccan midfielder Abdelaziz Bennidj noted that there were doubts about his ability to coach a star team, but the results of friendly matches were promising, and his appointment was 'a huge gamble that paid off.'
Playing Style and Influence
Wahbi's experience working with young players proved useful when working with the incredibly talented 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, a former French star until age 21, who soon moved to Morocco before the World Cup. He is also thanked for bringing energy to the team, which he took from Regragui. The predecessor's playing style, based on counterattacks, despite great success (reaching the 2022 World Cup semi-finals and winning the Africa Cup of Nations final), was becoming less popular.
Wahbi's more appealing style for fans, focusing on the newly signed Bayern player Ismaël Saïbri, was demonstrated in the group stage match against Brazil, which ended in a 1-1 draw, as well as in the victory over the Netherlands in the last round of the 32-team knockout stage via penalties. Great Moroccan player Aziz Boudrbala stated that Wahbi 'imposed his style on two football giants, especially against the Netherlands.' He added that Wahbi knew how to control the game and develop an inventive attacking strategy while maintaining defensive solidity, thereby adding extra value beyond the previous style.
The Coach's Collective Approach
Not only former players but also people close to him have been impressed. Wahbi himself, who has three children, shared that his father is very proud of him. Although he prefers a collective approach rather than boasting, he always strives to involve everyone in the project. He emphasized that he never speaks in the first person, instead using 'we' or 'one,' because using the first person distances him from this collective logic. He believes that the staff is paramount, and anyone who thinks they can succeed alone cannot do so either long or correctly.
