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San Francisco - The Moroccan football federation has recently been suffering due to mismanagement, infighting, nepotism and most of all, incompetence.
Today, after months of suspense and drama, the secret is out: Badou Zaki has been named the next football coach of the Moroccan National team. He has been the favorite of Moroccan fans since 2004, and before that he gained fame as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Moroccan football.
The decision to name Zaki as head coach materialized thanks to the pressure put on the newly elected president of the Moroccan football federation by Moroccan fans all over the world. Zaki is the right man for this mission. His record speaks for itself and he knows Moroccan players inside out. No foreign coach can match Zaki’s knowledge of Moroccan players. Knowledge is key. We don’t have time for a foreign coach to hold tryouts and decide who can play and who cannot.
This position needs someone whose heart, mind, and soul are committed to Moroccan football and Zaki fits this criteria.
Morocco has an abundance of talented players, but unless someone knows who they are and brings them in, it will not make a difference who's good and who's not. That’s exactly what Zaki did in 2004. He brought in the crème of the crop. He understood that in order to compete on the continental level against some of the best African teams, he needed to bring in foreign-based professional players. These players were very well trained and ready to play, and above all, they had the stamina to play games in their entirety. He knew that he could not rely on amateur players who were struggling to make a living by working other jobs outside of football.
Zaki has unfinished business to take care of; he reached the finals in Tunisia, but still wants to win the African cup in the homeland. And what better place to lift the trophy other than in the Moroccan capital?
If Moroccan football fans want a coach who will fight with his heart and soul for Morocco, there is no better choice than a Moroccan coach. Zaki will not coach for the money or fame. He will take on this responsibility to fulfill the dream of every Moroccan: to hold the African cup high under the Moroccan sky.
Let’s hope that he receives the unequivocal support that he needs to do the job and do it well. Let’s also hope that this is the beginning of better days to come, not only for football, but also for Moroccan sport in general.
Moroccans need and deserve better. Everyone witnessed the enthusiasm and joy that the FIFA Club World Cup brought to Morocco and how joyful and happy Moroccans felt during the competition.
Zaki needs all the help he can get. The clock is ticking for the 2015 orange cup competition that will take place in Morocco. It is an impossible task, but there is no doubt that if everyone involved works for the good of the nation, we will see Mehdi Benatia lifting the precious African trophy.
Edited by Liz Yaslik
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