No longer called up to the national team since 2019, when he slammed the door on the eve of the CAN, Abderrazak Hamdallah wants to find the Lions and therefore makes his mea culpa.
At the microphone of MBC this Sunday evening, the 31-year-old striker apologized and gave a frank nod to national coach Walid Regragui, on the eve of the publication of the final list of players who will take part in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
” I apologize to the Moroccan public and officials for what happened in 2019″he began his message, before addressing Regragui directly.
“The dark point in my story is what I did when I left the national team, I was wrong and I apologize. If I am selected I will give everything, otherwise I will be the first supporter of Morocco “. he added.
Hamdallah, the world’s top scorer in 2019, further clarified that he spoke to the national team coach: “I spoke to coach Walid Regragui. He told me that we could write a new page”.
For the first time, Abderrazzak HamedAllah speaks out on the CAN 2019 affair. He also apologizes to the Moroccan people and the FRMF 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/TczCC8IKa6
— SOCCER212 (@SCCR_212) November 6, 2022
We remember, Hamdallah had left the group on the eve of CAN 2019, disputed in Egypt. If the Federation had at the time invoked “an injury to his back”the street quickly made the connection with what was known as the “penalty gate”.
Indeed, during the friendly match between Morocco and Gambia (0-1), the penalty shot by Fayçal Fajr should have been awarded to Hamdallah. Fajr would have vetoed it, demanding to be the author himself. That was the last straw that broke a vase already full of “difficulty getting along with his teammates” for Hamdallah.
The striker had no longer been called up, and in November 2019, when he was absent from the list of called up for a rally in Maâmora, he had simply announced his international retirement.
” Hello, I have decided to retire internationally”he had announced from New York, where he was on vacation.
It’s a page that we thought was turned, but we have to believe that not! Will this last-minute call find an echo? To be continued…