Hakim Ziyech: Between time pressure and the dream of returning to the Moroccan national team

During his short tenure with Al Duhail, Ziyech participated in just 13 matches, scoring one goal and providing one assist. These modest numbers reflect the challenges the player faced in adapting to the Qatari league, which prompted him to make the decision to leave in search of a new European challenge.

Regragui’s clear and firm position

Morocco national team coach Walid Regragui made his position on Ziyech’s situation crystal clear during a press conference in August 2025. The coach confirmed that Ziyech remains on the national team’s extended roster, but he cannot include “an unemployed player who doesn’t play for any club” amid the intense competition for places ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Regragui emphasized that Ziyech’s exclusion was not for disciplinary or personal reasons, but rather “a purely sporting matter related to competition standards and match participation.” This clear stance places additional pressure on the player to find a club as soon as possible to regain his place in the Atlas Lions squad.

Multiple European options but no decision

Media reports indicate interest from several European clubs in signing Ziyech as a free agent. In the Spanish league, both Sevilla and Elche have entered negotiations with the player, with Sevilla offering a one-year contract with the option to extend for a further season. Elche has also shown renewed interest in the Moroccan star, despite previous negotiations stalling due to his financial demands.

In the Dutch league, Ziyech has been strongly linked to PSV Eindhoven, particularly after Robin van Bommel suffered a serious injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Sources indicate that PSV management is seriously considering signing Ziyech to compensate for this absence, especially since the player previously worked under current coach Peter Bosz during his time with Ajax Amsterdam.

The challenge of returning to the top

Ziyech realizes that finding a suitable European club is not just a career move; it’s also his passport to a return to the Moroccan national team and a place in the Africa Cup of Nations on Moroccan soil. This dream, which the player has often spoken of in previous statements, has been described as a “big dream” to lead the Atlas Lions to a title that has eluded Moroccan football for half a century.

But the challenge isn’t just finding a club; it requires Ziyech to regain the match rhythm and competitiveness he’s lacked for months, especially after two disappointing experiences with Al-Duhail in Qatar and, before that, with Galatasaray in Turkey. He’ll also have to compete for his former place in the national team, which has now passed to Achraf Hakimi, who has become the team’s new captain.

An aura of mystery and psychological pressure

Sources close to the player indicate that he is deeply affected by his current situation and his prolonged absence from the Moroccan national team’s training camps, which has created a sense of frustration at not receiving the same media attention and privileges he once enjoyed. This complex psychological situation adds an additional dimension to the player’s challenge in finding the motivation needed to return to his best form.

The last window of hope

Although the official registration period in the major European leagues has closed, there are still options available to Ziyech as a free agent to join clubs in leagues with open transfer windows. Regulations also allow clubs to sign free agents outside of official transfer windows under exceptional circumstances, keeping the door open for the Moroccan star.

Time is running out for Hakim Ziyech, but history reminds us that the greatest success stories begin at the deepest points of crisis. Will this difficult period mark a new turning point in the career of the former “Ajax Wizard”? The coming days will hold the answer to this fateful question regarding the future of one of Morocco’s most prominent football stars.

Source: Koora.com