Niger national team coach Badou Zaki was hospitalized in Casablanca after suffering a sudden health scare at Mohammed V International Airport, the Niger Football Federation said Monday.
Zaki, a former Morocco international and coach, was preparing to travel to Zanzibar for Niger’s World Cup qualifier against Tanzania when he fell ill on Saturday, the federation said in a statement posted on Facebook.
He was rushed to Mohammed VI University Hospital in Casablanca, where he received treatment from a medical team. The federation said Zaki’s condition has since stabilized and that he is “out of danger” but will not be able to travel with the team.
Assistant coach Zakaria Ibrahim will lead Niger in Tuesday’s qualifier, part of the eighth round of African qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
“The Niger Football Federation is closely monitoring his health and extends its full solidarity, wishing him a speedy recovery,” the statement said.
Zaki last coached Niger during a friendly in Rabat on Friday, when Morocco defeated his side 5-0. The 65-year-old remains a celebrated figure in Moroccan football, remembered for guiding the Atlas Lions to the 2004 African Cup of Nations final.
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