Barred by the competition, but above all neglected at Chelsea, Hakim Ziyech has returned to the joys of the pitch with Galatasaray.
“Waste of time, crime against soccer… Morocco’s soccer fans are not short of criticism when it comes to Chelsea. They have fired red-hot bullets at the coaches who have been on the Blues bench and who have managed Hakim Ziyech. At issue were the left-hander’s lack of playing time and the low regard in which he was held by the Blues, despite a successful World Cup with the Moroccan national team.
Added to this was his failed transfer to PSG due to last-minute twists and turns attributed to the English club’s management. An accumulation of frustrating setbacks for supporters of the former Ajax Amsterdam player.
Ziyech left for Galatasaray in the summer transfer window and quickly got into the swing of things. The winger made an assist in his first game, before scoring with a fine control-shot in his second.A promising start and a return to form that has been widely acclaimed in Morocco.“Today, I played as a number 10, but I don’t mind. As long as I’m enjoying it, there’s no problem. I can play on the right wing or behind the striker,” he said during his latest match with Turkey’s most successful club.
While Ziyech’s talent is undisputed, he lost a lot of time during his time in London. A real brake on his career, especially as there was a time when he could have claimed the African Ballon d’Or like his Premier League predecessors (Salah, Mahrez, Mané).But the left-hander has shown that he’s still got it. A return to form that will delight fans in the run-up to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
The Regragui recipe
In the opinion of Moroccan coach Abderrahim Talib, “Ziyech was completely neglected when he joined Chelsea, even though he’s a very sensitive boy who was orphaned at a young age. At Chelsea, you could see he was unmotivated and sad”.
“Fortunately, thanks to the national team and coach Walid Regragui, he has regained his strength, both technically and physically. Coach Regragui handled him well, forgetting all about dogmatism,” says A. Talib.Talib. For the Moroccan coach, who has managed several clubs at national level, “when a player goes through these periods, you need know-how to get him back into shape and thanks to that, he was back in form for the World Cup.
“At Galatasaray, the public, the club and the media welcomed him, which made his debut easier.When the public’s attitude is positive, as well as that of the staff and the media, it’s easy for the player to integrate…” explains the Moroccan coach.“Many players suffered with Chelsea”. Turkish club coach Okan Buruk also praised his new player’s rapid contribution.“Ziyech showed several positive things in his first appearances. He’s a real asset for us”.
At Chelsea, Ziyech is not a special case, Talib believes. The club, which spares no expense during the mercatos, has in fact sometimes mismanaged certain players in the squad, deprived of playing time or forced to seek out other clubs after being subscribed to the bench.”Chelsea does this to a lot of foreign players, especially French speakers. In Ziyech’s case, his level has stagnated or even dropped with Chelsea. The club didn’t know how to exploit the player’s technical abilities”, laments the coach.
The Moroccan public has always believed in Ziyech
In Morocco, the public have always chanted Ziyech’s name. They have always had confidence in his qualities as a playmaker and leader, despite a complicated period under Halilhodzic.“With him, we always have more solutions,” adds A. Talib. Talib, who is delighted at the return to form of one of the Moroccan players capable of changing the course of a match with a swipe of his paw. Talib remains convinced that the national team can do very well if Ziyech is unavailable. But the coach remains convinced that the magical left-hander provides more solutions thanks to his versatility and ability to liven up the attacking play. He provides more solutions, particularly on long passes and set-pieces.”So, basically, the team needs Ziyech, because he brings more confidence to his partners. Between now and the African Cup of Nations, Ziyech will have to race against time to prove that he will be one of the most eagerly awaited players. Morocco will, at the very least, be aiming for the last four in Côte d’Ivoire before hosting the CAN 2025. With their attacking edge, the aim will be to win one of the two editions.
