Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 10:31
— By Anouar AFAJDAR —
Rabat – Discipline and pragmatism remain its fundamental motto. Victory is its primary goal. Thanks to his patience and his sacrifices, he managed to raise Moroccan futsal to previously “unattainable” heights. Hicham Dguig… Quiet strength!
To him, talent could win games, teamwork and intelligence win championships.
When he speaks, he is clear and precise. On the pitch, he is communicative and determined. The native of Kenitra has become, over the years, this artisan who has allowed Morocco to grab a place of choice among the elite of its “fetish” discipline.
Thanks to his “paternal” character, he was able to lead a group of young people, establishing an impervious solidarity to fill the list of national sport with the most coveted trophies.
Dguig is also “the right person in the right place” having managed to “excellently” execute the FRMF’s strategy for the development of the practice of football in general and futsal in particular, in accordance with the vision of HM King Mohammed VI .
After a playing career at Ajax Kénitra and the national team, the calm man of Moroccan futsal changed his focus. From the playing area to the sidelines.
Arriving at the top of the national selection in 2010, he relied on work, seriousness and self-sacrifice to put national futsal on the right track.
Indeed, the coach, now 51 years old, will soon create his first sensation. A first qualification for the 2012 World Cup which took place in Thailand.
This performance will only be the beginning of a succession of happy episodes. A second qualification in a row at the 2016 World Cup then a third at the 2021 World Cup made him the first coach in the world to qualify for three Futsal World Cups in a row.
In Lithuania, he achieved the feat of bringing the Atlas Lions to the quarter-finals.
In the meantime, the National Five had clearly distinguished themselves during continental and regional competitions, winning three African Cups in a row (2016, 2020 and 2024) and three consecutive Arab Cups (2021, 2022 and 2023). Never seen before!
Qualified for the quarter-finals of the World Cup currently taking place in Uzbekistan, Hicham Dguig continues to demonstrate that “each difficulty encountered is an opportunity for new progress”.
Dguig, named best futsal coach in the world for the year 2023 by the specialized site “Futsalplanet.com”, has explicitly proven this adage right since the start of the competition. The match against the Brazilian Seleção will be a great opportunity for a new History.
