Morocco's coach sacked after Africa Cup loss

Two francophone Moroccan bloggers, Jamal Hafsi and Amazirghblog, respond to the recent sacking of the Moroccan national football team's coach, Henri Michel, following Morocco's poor performance in the African Nations Cup. Both place the blame on the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and consider Michel a scapegoat.

Jamal Hafsi writes:

La Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football a congédié Henri Michel, le coach de l’équipe nationale.

Après la brève et peu flatteuse prestation de notre onze national à Accra et le tollé général qu’elle a soulevé dans tout le pays, il fallait bien évidemment faire sauter un fusible.

La fédération n’a pas été chercher très loin, et la solution et le fusible. Elle a fait, comme à son habitude, dans le plus simple et a offert la tête du coach.

Congédier Henri Michel peut effectivement faire baisser, pour un moment, la tension née du pitoyable parcours de nos lions au royaume des Ashantis. Elle n’occultera pas pour autant la véritable dimension du désastre dans lequel est empêtré le football national. Maigre consolation!

Auditionné par la commission des affaires sociales et du sport M’hamed Aouzal vice- président de la FRMF et président du GNF a tenté encore une fois de faire jouer les sempiternels faux fuyants et de noyer le poisson. Comme d’habitude…encore une fois.

Henri Michel n’est responsable de cette débâcle qu’à hauteur de ses mauvais choix tactiques pour cette phase finale de la CAN..

La FRMF, elle, est responsable de sa pitoyable gestion du football national depuis des lustres.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation dismissed Henri Michel, the national team's coach.

After our national eleven's brief and hardly flattering performance in Accra and the general cries of indignation they raised throughout the country, it was obviously necessary to blow a fuse.

The federation didn't have to look very far to find both the solution and the fuse. As usual, they did the easiest thing and offered up the coach's head.

Putting Henri Michel into retirement may effectively, though only momentarily, reduce the tension born from our Lion's* pathetic round in the Ashanti kingdom. However, it won't be enough to obscure the real dimension of the disaster in which the national football has become entangled in. Not much of a consolation!

Auditioned by the Commission for Sport and Social Affairds M'hamed Aouzal, vice-president of the FRMF and president of the GNF [Groupement National de Football/National Football Rankings] once again tried to employ to endless misdirections and bamboozle the public. As usual…once again.

Henri Michel is only responsible for this disaster insofar as his bad tactical choices in this final phase of the ANC…

The FRMF [Royal Moroccan Football Federation] is the one responsible for the pathetic management of the national football team since their previous glory.

(*The Moroccan national football team is known as the “Lions de l'Atlas” or the “Lions of the Atlas Mountains.”)

In a similar vein, Amazirghblog writes:

Je trouve l'attitude de la Federation royale marocaine, totalement irresponsable!

Il ne s'agit pas de demettre un coach, mais de revoir tout le fonction de cette institution oculte!

Zaki, tres bon entraineur, en a fait les frais!

Tant qu'on aura les memes (ir)responsables à la tete de cette federation, on ne pourra tenir les coachs comme uniques responsables!

I find the Royal Moroccan [Football] Federation's attitude totally irresponsible!

They shouldn't be firing a coach, but reexamining the entire function of this occult institution!

Zaki, a very good coach, paid the price for it!

So long as we have the same (ir)responsible people at the head of this federation, we can't hold the coaches as the only people accountable!

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