The Moroccan Football Federation has ended Jorge Vilda’s three-year spell in charge of the Morocco Women’s National Team and appointed French coach Eric Blahic as his successor.
The federation confirmed the change in an official statement but did not provide a reason for Vilda’s departure. Blahic will take charge of the team immediately, with his first matches coming in two international friendlies against Uzbekistan in Morocco.
The two games are scheduled for 9 and 12 October in the Moroccan capital. The federation has also published the squad selected by Blahic for the fixtures, marking the beginning of his tenure with the national side.
Vilda led Morocco to the round of 16 at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the most significant achievement in the team’s history. Morocco became the first Arab country to reach the knockout stage of the tournament before being eliminated by France.
His departure comes after Morocco’s campaign at the latest Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, held in July. The team finished fourth after losing their semi-final against Cameroon.
Morocco had been runners-up in the two previous editions of the competition. Despite missing out on the final this time, the team secured qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The federation announced Blahic’s appointment without outlining the reasons for replacing Vilda, who had been in charge for three years. The two October matches against Uzbekistan will therefore provide the new coach with his first opportunity to work with the national team in competition preparation.