Hakim Ziyech is enduring a period marked by personal loss and professional uncertainty after the Moroccan international announced the death of one of his brothers this Tuesday, adding to an already difficult chapter in his career.
Not selected for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations being staged in Morocco, the 32-year-old winger has been navigating a complicated transition in recent months.
Free of contract following a short spell at Al-Duhail, Ziyech signed for Wydad Casablanca in November with the hope of reviving his career on home soil.
However, administrative and regulatory constraints have limited his immediate involvement on the pitch.
He has been ineligible to feature in the Botola Pro league until January and was not registered for the CAF Confederation Cup, leaving him without competitive football for several months.
This prolonged absence contributed to his exclusion from Tarik Sektioui’s squad that lifted the 2025 Arab Club Champions Cup, as well as from Walid Regragui’s selection for the Africa Cup of Nations.
For a player who has been one of Morocco’s most recognisable figures over the past decade, the situation has been a sobering one, combining frustration on the sporting front with uncertainty about his role moving forward.
That sense of difficulty deepened with the announcement of a family bereavement.
Ziyech shared the news of his brother’s passing through a brief but poignant message on social media, writing: “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiʿoun” (“We belong to God and to Him we shall return”).
The message quickly prompted an outpouring of sympathy from supporters and figures across Moroccan football.
Wydad Casablanca, where Ziyech is expected to play a central role once eligible, formally expressed its condolences.
“Wydad Athletic Club extends its deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to our player Hakim Ziyech and his family on the passing of his brother, may God have mercy on him,” the club said in a statement.
The show of support underlined the emotional weight of the moment for a player still settling into a new environment.
Ziyech’s family background has long been an important part of his personal story.
He is the youngest of eight siblings and lost his father at the age of ten, an experience that shaped much of his early life.
L’équipe WydadTime présente ses condoléances à Hakim Ziyech et sa famille pour la perte de son frère…
Qu’Allah le tout puissant le couvre de sa miséricorde 🤲💔 pic.twitter.com/5ZswVSUYFz
— Wydad Time 🇲🇦🇵🇸🔴 (@WydadTime) December 23, 2025
In 2023, he spoke openly about that period, referring to “lacking a father figure” while growing up.
Those comments sparked internal family tensions, with his brother Faouzi publicly responding at the time.
“First of all, Mom didn’t have to raise nine children as you claim. You were the only child (11 years old), the others were 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, and some already had children of their own. Your sister and I took charge of raising the children,” his brother said, emphasising the role played by older siblings in the household.
Now, as he mourns the loss of one of those brothers, Ziyech finds himself confronting grief away from the spotlight of international competition.
With his return to domestic football still pending and his national team absence confirmed, the coming weeks will be defined as much by personal healing as by sporting considerations for one of Morocco’s most prominent players.
