From Brussels to the Summit of Moroccan Football: Portrait of Mohamed Ouahbi, the New Coach of the Atlas Lions
In the history of Moroccan football, certain journeys embody passion, perseverance and modernity at the same time. Mohamed Ouahbi’s path now belongs to that category. The new head coach of the Atlas Lions, succeeding Walid Regragui, the Belgian-Moroccan manager represents a new generation of technicians capable of combining European training, tactical intelligence and a deep attachment to Morocco.
Brussels roots, a Moroccan heart
Born in the “Cité des Ânes” in Schaerbeek, in the Brussels region, Mohamed Ouahbi grew up in a Moroccan family deeply attached to its origins. A student at the French-speaking municipal high school Émile Max, he discovered early on the values of hard work, education and self-improvement.
His passion for football truly began during the 1986 FIFA World Cup. At just ten years old, he watched Morocco write a historic chapter by reaching the round of 16. In the family living room, while Belgium remained the team supported by tradition, it was above all the epic journey of the Atlas Lions that left a lasting impression on young Mohamed’s imagination. The dream was born: one day, he too would contribute to the history of Moroccan football.
An educator above all
Faithful to his pedagogical vocation, Mohamed Ouahbi pursued studies to become an educator in Schaerbeek. His ambition was clear: to connect education and sport, two essential pillars for shaping younger generations.
At only 21 years old, he began his coaching career at Maccabi Brussels. For six seasons, he coached youth teams in a uniquely multicultural environment. This formative experience shaped his vision of football as a tool for inclusion, learning and human development.
Beyond results, Ouahbi developed a teaching approach based on understanding the game, trust and player responsibility. These principles would remain at the core of his philosophy.
The Anderlecht school of excellence
In 2003, his career took a major turn when he joined the academy of the prestigious RSC Anderlecht, one of Europe’s most renowned clubs for youth development.
At Neerpede, Ouahbi gradually climbed the ranks, from the U9 category to the reserve teams. He contributed to the development of an exceptional generation of talents who would later shine across European football, including Youri Tielemans, Jérémy Doku, Leander Dendoncker, Dodi Lukébakio and Yari Verschaeren.
His work gained recognition when he led Anderlecht’s youth team to the semi-finals of the UEFA Youth League in 2015. That same year, he joined the first team’s coaching staff as assistant to Besnik Hasi. This period strengthened his reputation as a methodical, demanding coach deeply committed to player development.
The architect of the young Lions
In 2022, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, entrusted him with the Moroccan U20 national team. Ouahbi built an ambitious project combining talents from the European diaspora and players trained at the Mohammed VI Football Academy. His work quickly produced results.
After several developmental tournaments, the team reached the final of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2025. But it was a few months later that Mohamed Ouahbi definitively entered the history books.
During the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup, Morocco achieved an exceptional run. The young Lions eliminated the United States, then France, before defeating Argentina in the final. For the first time in its history, Morocco became world champion in this category. A remarkable achievement that established Ouahbi as one of the most promising African coaches.
A modern football philosophy
Trained in the Belgian technical school, Mohamed Ouahbi advocates bold and intelligent football. His teams play forward, apply high pressing and constantly seek to control possession. His preferred systems, often the 4-3-3 or the 3-4-3, favor creativity and speed of execution.
But beyond tactics, Ouahbi insists on a fundamental principle: understanding the game. For him, a player must be able to think, adapt and take responsibility on the pitch. This approach, combining European rigor with Moroccan sensitivity, perfectly reflects the current evolution of the Atlas Lions.
The man connecting with the diaspora
One of Mohamed Ouahbi’s greatest strengths lies in his ability to communicate with young dual-national players. Having a deep understanding of the realities of European football, he has managed to establish trust with many talents from the diaspora.
His approach is simple: present a clear sporting project, respect the players’ choices and build a lasting human relationship with them and their families. This method has already helped attract several promising profiles to Moroccan national teams.
A new era for the Atlas Lions
Today, Mohamed Ouahbi’s appointment at the head of the national team marks a turning point. After the successes of the Regragui era, Morocco is entrusting the keys to its future to a technician who knows the new generation perfectly. Visionary, educator and strategist, Ouahbi embodies a natural transition between youth development and the elite level.
His journey, from Schaerbeek to the summit of world youth football, tells a deeply Moroccan story: that of a dream born in a diaspora family and turned into reality in service of an entire nation. And now, under Mohamed Ouahbi’s leadership, the Atlas Lions begin a new chapter in their history, with the ambition of continuing to inspire Morocco and the whole of Africa.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv
