Hakim Ziyech has announced that he will not return to the Morocco national side following the decision to leave him out of the nation’s Africa Cup of Nations squad.
The Chelsea winger was a notable absence from the Atlas Lions’ squad for the tournament in Cameroon following a public spat with current manager Valid Halihodzic. The 40-time capped international had not made an appearance for his country since June 2021.
Morocco reached the AFCON semi-finals without the former Ajax playmaker, eventually falling to a 2-1 defeat to an Egypt side that was spearheaded by former Chelsea and current Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
In the aftermath of the tournament, Ziyech has now made the decision to all-but rule himself out of international duty for the foreseeable future.
Talking to local media ahead of Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup clash with Al-Hilal, he said: “Obviously I understand them but I will not return to the national team.
“It’s my final decision and it’s all clear for me how things are going over there.
“You know it’s all clear for me and I am focusing on what I am doing and that’s right now my club.
“At the end of the day, it’s a decision he makes and you have to respect it but if all the lines come with it, it’s for me clear and like I said before, I will not return to the national team.”
Whilst the decision to leave Ziyech out of the squad for the tournament will certainly have been a huge disappointment for the player himself, Chelsea have certainly benefited from his omission.
The 28-year-old has scored in each of his previous two Premier League games, the first time he has found the net in back-to-back league matches since his big-money move from Ajax in the summer of 2020.
Meanwhile, he also scored in the emphatic FA Cup victory against Chesterfield.
Ziyech already has six goals and four assists for the Blues in all competitions this season and has already matched his contributions from the entirety of last term.
He was previously linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, with Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona emerging as contenders for his services but he remained and now looks to be a key player under Thomas Tuchel.
