Izuchukwu Okosi
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Following his omission from Morocco’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations squad Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech has announced his international retirement after falling out with Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic.
The 28-year-old has not played for the Atlas Lions since June 2021 in the games against Ghana and Burkina Faso.
Ziyech has been involved in a war of words with Halilhodzic regarding his availability for international duty and was not part of the team to this year’s AFCON in Cameroon.
After the Atlas Lions’ elimination, Halilhodzic said Ziyech would not be welcomed back into the team “even if his name was Lionel Messi”.
And the Chelsea star has now responded, hitting back by accusing the coach of “lying” while agreeing that he will not return play for his country.
Ziyech said, “I will not return to the national team, and this is my final decision. I am focussing on what I am doing with my club.
“Everyone has seen what happened in the last period. I am sad but this is my final decision.
“The coach of the national team made his decision, and in any case I respect it. My focus now, as I said, is only on Chelsea.”
He was born in the Netherlands and represented them at youth international level, but switched allegiance to Morocco in 2015.
He won 39 caps for the Morroco and scored 17 goals.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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