Hakim Ziyech has retired from International football at the age of 28, the Moroccan has announced.
This follows his recent exclusion from the Morocco team that competed at 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
“I will not return to the team,” said Ziyech as quoted. “This is my final decision. It’s clear to me. I am going to focus on my club now and this is my final decision.”
Per reports, Ziyech is not in good talking terms with the National team coach Vahid Halilhodžić.
Last year, Halilhodzic accused Ziyech of faking an injury to avoid playing a friendly against Ghana.
It will therefore go on record that Ziyech’s last match for Morocco in a friendly against Burkina Faso in June 2021.
Born in Netherlands, Ziyech was eligible to play for the Netherlands or Morocco at international level.
He represented the Netherlands U20 and U21 team before
confirming his allegiance to play for Netherlands in September 2015.
The Chelsea midfielder made his debut for the national team on 9 October, in a 1–0 defeat to the Ivory Coast.
Ziyech has represented Morocco at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
