Moroccan Coach Mohamed Ouahbi Rises From Brussels Youth Club to World Cup Quarterfinals

Mohamed Ouahbi, now the head coach of Morocco's national football team, began his coaching career over 20 years ago as a young physical education teacher in Brussels. At just 21, he started coaching youth teams at Maccabi Brussels, a small Jewish amateur club, while continuing his teaching job. Despite the modest beginnings, Ouahbi's methodical and disciplined approach quickly set him apart, earning praise from peers like Belgian coach Yannick Ferrera and colleague Ahmed Rami.

After six years at Maccabi, Ouahbi joined the prestigious youth academy of Anderlecht, one of Europe's top football academies. He started coaching children under nine and gradually advanced through the ranks over nearly two decades, eventually becoming an assistant coach for Anderlecht's senior team. During this time, he helped develop future Belgian international stars such as Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku, and Dodi Lukebakio. His ability to build strong personal relationships with players was noted by longtime colleague Jean-François Lenoir.

Despite his success in youth coaching, Ouahbi never led a senior club team as head coach. After a brief stint as an assistant in Saudi Arabia, he accepted an offer from the Moroccan Football Federation in 2022 to coach Morocco's under-20 team. He led them to a surprise victory over Argentina in the FIFA U-20 World Cup final, gaining international recognition. This success led to his appointment as head coach of Morocco's senior national team, where he guided them to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals with impressive performances against Brazil, the Netherlands, and Scotland.

Ouahbi also made history at the U-20 World Cup by successfully using FIFA's new green card challenge system to overturn a penalty decision against Morocco. His appointment was initially seen as a gamble by Moroccan officials, given his lack of senior head coaching experience, but his results have proven otherwise.

Interestingly, Ouahbi's early coaching at the Jewish club Maccabi Brussels became a talking point in Morocco, with some critics mockingly calling him "the Jew." However, the club was multicultural, primarily serving Muslim children, and it was there that Ouahbi developed his educational coaching philosophy. For Ouahbi, Maccabi Brussels represents the foundation of his coaching career, emphasizing that his rise is the result of patient, professional development rather than fame or shortcuts.