Morocco recall gives Hakim Ziyech a shot at redemption

DUBAI: When the Morocco squad reconvened this week for their upcoming friendlies against Chile and Paraguay, a much-missed figure joined them for the first time this year. For 29-year-old Hakim Ziyech, things have not exactly gone to plan over the past 18 months. Life looked rosy on the bitterly cold London night of Feb.

13, 2020, when Chelsea agreed to pay Ajax $40 million for the services of the gifted winger. Fans of the Amsterdam club back then worried that Ziyech, a key player, would be difficult to replace when he made the move to Stamford Bridge in the summer. But things quickly started to go wrong for the player, while his former club went from strength to strength.

Ziyech’s first appearance for the Blues in a pre-season friendly against Brighton lasted until 10 minutes into the second half when he hobbled off injured. It was a sign of things to come, with the injury keeping him out of opening three matches of the season. Ziyech returned and scored against FC Krasnodar in the 81st minute of his Champions League debut for Chelsea on Oct.

28 the same year. Frank Lampard, still the Blues boss at the time, was thought to be an admirer of the Moroccan’s finishing, dribbling, speed and tactical awareness. But when Lampard was sacked the following January, Thomas Tuchel took over and Ziyech was soon a bit-player, often a substitute and on the periphery of the action when he did take part.