Mohamed Wahbi’s journey from an unsuccessful attempt to become a professional footballer to leading Morocco to a World Cup title has taken him through classrooms, youth academies and some of Belgium’s most respected football structures.
Wahbi, who was born in Brussels to a Moroccan family from Nador, has now been entrusted with leading the Moroccan national team after succeeding Walid Regragui. His rise has been built largely around developing young players rather than a celebrated career on the pitch.
Born on 7 September 1976 in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels, Wahbi developed an interest in football from an early age. His passion grew when, at the age of 10, he watched Morocco reach the last 16 of the 1986 World Cup, becoming the first Arab and African side to achieve that feat.
He wanted to become a professional footballer himself but was unable to fulfil that ambition. While studying, he entered the Faculty of Education and eventually became a teacher, although he continued looking for a way to combine his profession with football.
He later obtained a qualification specialising in the development and training of young players. That decision opened the door to coaching.
In 1997, aged 21, Wahbi was offered the chance to work with the youth team at Belgian club Maccabi Brussels. He accepted and spent six years at the club while continuing to work as a teacher at Charles Boulos school.
Wahbi has described the period as an important stage in his development as both a coach and teacher.
“Working with young people and preparing training sessions helped me develop my performance as a trainer and teacher, especially in dealing with groups. I remember that in my early days I was shy and hesitant even to speak in front of the students. I didn’t dare to open my mouth, but I changed there, and I discovered my true passion for the training profession.”
His next major step came in 2003, when he joined the Anderlecht academy. The move began a 17-year spell in which he worked with almost every age group and developed extensive experience in player development.
During that period, Wahbi was involved in the development of players who later became prominent names, including Adnan Januzaj, Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku, Romelu Lukaku, Leander Dendoncker and Bilal Al-Khanous.
He also guided Anderlecht’s Under-21 side to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2015. During the 2015-16 season, he worked as an assistant to Besnik Hasi with the club’s first team before obtaining his UEFA Pro coaching licence in 2018.
Wahbi left Anderlecht in 2021 and briefly worked as an assistant to Belgian coach Yannick Ferreira at Saudi Arabian club Al-Fateh.
His career then took him back to Morocco. In March 2022, he became coach of the Moroccan Under-20 side.
His early period in charge was not without difficulty. Morocco failed to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, leading to criticism of Wahbi. However, he subsequently guided the team to the North African Football Union Championship title in 2024 and then to the runners-up position at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The biggest achievement followed at the 2025 Youth World Cup, where Wahbi led Morocco to the title, making the country the first Arab team to win the competition.
His work with the youth side also highlighted another part of his coaching approach: identifying emerging talent. Wahbi closely followed young players and included graduates of the Mohammed VI Academy, including Yasser Al-Zabiri. He also helped attract expatriate players to Morocco’s national-team setup, among them Shams Al-Din Talbi.
His background and coaching philosophy have contributed to the nickname “Mourinho of Africa”. The comparison is linked partly to the fact that, like Jose Mourinho, Wahbi did not establish himself through a significant playing career before becoming a coach.
There was also a notable moment in his career during Morocco’s match against Spain at the 2025 Youth World Cup. Wahbi became the first coach to use the green card, a mechanism introduced to allow coaches to request a review of VAR footage.
He used the card in the 78th minute after Spain were awarded a penalty. Following a review, the referee cancelled the decision and booked the Spanish player for simulation.
Away from the touchline, Wahbi’s calm appearance is matched by a strict approach to discipline. He has previously said that some talented players failed to remain with his teams because they did not follow the rules he had established.
His philosophy can be summed up by the principle: “No excuses, no blame.”
For Wahbi, ability alone is not enough. Players must also follow the coach’s instructions and commit to the team’s methods.
That approach has shaped a career that began with an abandoned dream of becoming a professional footballer, continued through teaching and youth development in Belgium, and eventually produced a World Cup-winning coach.
Now, after being handed responsibility for Morocco’s senior national team, Wahbi faces the next stage of a journey that has already taken him from the classroom to the top of youth international football.
