Hervé Renard, former head coach of Morocco’s national football team, has acknowledged his role in the dispute with Hakim Ziyech that led to the player’s exclusion from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
Speaking on the “Africa Football Club” podcast by French outlet L’Équipe, Renard revealed that the fallout was the result of a miscommunication and his own rigidity.
“Ziyech picked up an injury with us on a Tuesday, then played for his club on Saturday. I didn’t take it well and stubbornly stuck to my position, right or wrong — that didn’t matter to me at the time,” he said. “Today, I take my share of the blame. I can’t work in a constant atmosphere of conflict.”
The rift kept Ziyech out of the national squad for a crucial tournament and stirred controversy at the time.
Renard also recalled how the tension was eventually resolved. The reconciliation, he said, came thanks to the intervention of Moroccan Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa, who arranged a private meeting between the two in Amsterdam. “I listened to Hakim. Within five minutes, the issue was behind us. It was a pivotal session — our communication has been solid ever since,” he added.
The renewed understanding between Renard and Ziyech paved the way for the player’s return to the national team, which he would later help propel to major international successes.
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