The Moroccan national team was on the verge of securing the services of a world-class coach to lead them in the 2026 World Cup finals, but officials from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation backed out at the last minute.
This was reported by the “Foot Mercato” network, which stated that an agreement had already been reached between Fouzi Lekjaa’s administration and the renowned Argentinian coach Jorge Sampaoli, before the Moroccans changed their minds and opted instead to sign local coach Mohamed Wahbi.
Sampaoli, with his distinguished history with national teams, welcomed the opportunity to coach Morocco, and the salary was never an obstacle. The former Argentina coach saw it as the perfect opportunity to return to the spotlight.
However, at the last minute before the agreement was finalized, Lekjaa and his associates reversed their decision. Their plan changed, and they decided that Mohamed Wahbi would coach Morocco until the 2026 World Cup. After that, they would either sign a world-class coach to lead the Atlas Lions project, or the current coach would continue, depending on the outcome of the World Cup.
It is said that Andrés Iniesta, who is on his way to becoming an administrator in Moroccan football, played a significant role in the decision not to hire Sampaoli, after promising to bring in another world-class coach following the upcoming World Cup.
It is worth noting that the 65-year-old Sampaoli has a distinguished record with the Chilean national team and a less successful one with the Argentinian national team. His most recent coaching experience was with Brazilian club Atlético Mineiro, which ended with his dismissal last February.
