Following his historic achievements in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Walid El Rakraki is set to lead the dreams of Morocco’s national team in its 19th participation in the Africa Cup of Nations for football, scheduled from January 13 to February 11, 2024, in Ivory Coast.
The 34th edition of the African Mondial takes place in Ivory Coast, and the 48-year-old El Rakraki aims to secure his country’s second title after the triumph in the tenth edition hosted by Ethiopia in 1976.
The “Atlas Lions” and their coach are gearing up for balanced tests in Group 6, which also includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania.
El Rakraki assumed the responsibility in August 2022 after the dismissal of Bosnian Vahid Halilhodžić.
His selection faced significant criticism from Moroccan media despite his prominent role in guiding Wydad Casablanca to victory in both the Moroccan League and the African Champions League in the same year.
Mocked by many as the “Avocado Head” due to his shaved head, El Rakraki responded to skeptics by leading Morocco to a fourth-place finish in the 2022 World Cup, becoming the first Arab and African team to achieve this feat.
In the Qatar World Cup, El Rakraki impressed with outstanding performances in the group stage against Belgium and Croatia, the runner-up of the 2018 Russia World Cup.
He then eliminated Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages before ending the adventure with a loss to France, the reigning champions at that time, in the semi-finals, followed by another loss to Croatia in the bronze medal match.
El Rakraki did not forget the mockery directed at him. He held an avocado fruit, inside of which was a football, signaling to his head, responding to doubters with a touch of humor.
The Moroccan coach ranked third in FIFA’s Best Coach of the World for 2022, following Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni, the winner of the Qatar World Cup, and his runner-up Didier Deschamps, the coach of France.
Throughout last year, the head coach of the Moroccan national team maintained his brilliance, bringing his total record with the “Atlas Lions” to 18 matches, including 10 victories, 3 draws, and 3 defeats.
The team scored 24 goals while conceding only 9. He won the Best Coach award in Africa at the annual ceremony of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
El Rakraki’s coaching journey began in late 2012 as an assistant to his compatriot Rachid Taoussi in the Moroccan national team, working in 14 matches.
He later took over the coaching of Fath Rabat’s team, where he stayed for five and a half seasons, winning the league title in the 2015-2016 season and the Moroccan Throne Cup in the 2013-2014 season.
The Moroccan coach ventured beyond his homeland to lead Qatar’s Al-Duhail team for nearly 9 months throughout 2020, winning the Qatar Stars League title in the 2019-2020 season.
He then returned to Morocco to coach Wydad Casablanca, winning the domestic league and the African Champions League in the 2021-2022 season.
El Rakraki earned individual awards throughout his coaching career, winning the Best Coach in the Moroccan League four times in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2022, in addition to the Best African Coach award in 2023 and the Royal Throne Medal in 2022 in recognition of his achievement in the Qatar World Cup.
As the Atlas Lions enter the Africa Cup of Nations under El Rakraki’s guidance, Morocco eagerly anticipates the continuation of their success story under the leadership of the coach with the “Avocado Head.”
