A new mission for an Atlas Lion: Regragui on the radar of an Arab national team
The name of Walid Regragui, the former head coach of the Morocco national team, has returned to the coaching candidates' circle, after he entered the calculations of the Qatar Football Association to take charge of the senior national team during the coming period, amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Spaniard Julen Lopetegui with Qatar.
According to the Moroccan website "Le Site Info Sport", the Qatari federation have placed Regragui on their shortlist of coaches to take over the role. Interest in signing him is said to be growing, though neither side has announced official talks or an agreement.
His name has surfaced just as Lopetegui edges towards the exit. Results have fallen short of Qatar's ambitions, and that has pushed the federation to weigh up alternatives ahead of a possible change at the top of the technical staff.
Officials at the Qatari federation see Regragui as a fitting choice to lead the national team, the Moroccan source said, pointing to his work with Morocco and the results he delivered there after steering the Atlas Lions to a historic run at the 2022 World Cup.
Regragui had taken Morocco to the semi-finals in Qatar, the first Arab and African team ever to reach that stage. The feat cemented his standing and sent his stock soaring on the coaching market.
His ties to Qatari football run deeper than the World Cup. Regragui previously coached in the Qatari league with Al-Duhail, an experience that left him familiar with the competitions and the football environment in the country. That could count in the federation's favour should their interest firm up.
Prominent Qatari figures also know Regragui well, which may ease communication between the two parties should the federation decide to move from merely weighing his name to opening formal contacts.
For now, it all remains nominations and media speculation. The Qatari federation have issued no official word on the identity of the next coach, and Lopetegui's departure has yet to be confirmed.
Regragui's future, then, stays open to more than one outcome. Much depends on where the Qatari federation stand with their current technical staff, and whether they turn to the Moroccan to lead the national team through the next phase.
