Mohamed Wahbi is facing growing scrutiny after Morocco’s latest international fixtures failed to convince supporters, with comparisons to former coach Walid Regragui returning despite his departure from the Atlas Lions.
Wahbi took charge of the Moroccan national team with high expectations, inheriting a squad filled with players competing in some of Europe’s biggest leagues. However, the team’s recent performances have raised questions over whether the new coach has established the technical identity supporters expect.
The concerns increased after Morocco drew 1-1 with Mali in a friendly in Tangier. The result and performance fell short of expectations, particularly after the Atlas Lions had begun their African qualifiers with consecutive 2-0 victories over Gabon and Lesotho.
The latest performances have reopened debate about Wahbi’s position and, more importantly, whether his tenure is developing in the direction Moroccan supporters had hoped.
The comparison with Regragui has become particularly difficult for the current coach to avoid. Whenever Morocco’s performances lack conviction, the former coach’s name returns to the discussion, leaving Wahbi under pressure to demonstrate that he can establish an identity of his own.
Wahbi inherited a side with considerable talent and ambitious expectations, leaving little room for mistakes. Moroccan supporters are demanding more than positive results. They want to see a team with a recognisable style and a clear approach capable of making full use of the quality available to the coach.
That has made the question of Wahbi’s tactical identity increasingly important.
Some supporters have begun to question whether the coach has managed to impose his own ideas on the team. The concern is not limited to results but extends to the performances themselves and whether they suggest that a new project is taking shape.
Regragui’s influence remains difficult to escape because his time in charge was linked to a historic achievement for Moroccan football and a period in which the Atlas Lions developed a distinctive identity.
As a result, the coach who follows him faces a significant challenge. Wahbi must build his own team and establish his own approach while operating in the shadow of a predecessor whose achievements continue to provide a point of comparison.
The pressure could increase during the next international break, which represents an important opportunity for Wahbi to demonstrate visible progress and respond to the criticism surrounding the national team.
The upcoming matches will therefore carry significance beyond their immediate results. Wahbi will be expected to show that Morocco’s recent performances are not representative of the direction in which he wants the team to move.
The central question is now whether Wahbi can put the comparisons with Regragui to rest through performances and results that convince the Moroccan public.
For now, the answer will not come through statements but through what Morocco produces on the pitch.
Regragui’s presence in the discussion does not necessarily suggest a possible return. Instead, his legacy has become the standard against which the current period is being judged.
That leaves Wahbi with the difficult task of establishing his own identity with the Atlas Lions before comparisons with Morocco’s recent past become an enduring source of pressure.
