NATIONAL TEAM - MOROCCO - COACH - former player Badou Zaki confirmed as new coach

The Morocco Football Federation has appointed former international Badou Zaki as the country's new national coach.

Zaki takes charge of the Atlas Lions for the second time in his career. He replaces interim coach Hassan Benabicha as Morocco prepare to host next year's Africa Cup of Nations. Several coaches were linked with the job, including former Zambia boss Herve Renard, Italian Giovanni Trapattoni and Dutchman Dick Advocaat.

Zaki is a former international goalkeeper and played for Morocco at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the World Cup two years later in Mexico. He was appointed national team coach in 2002 leading them to the final of the 2004 Nations Cup, where they lost 2:1 in the final to hosts Tunisia. His first term in charge ended in 2005 when he resigned following Morocco's failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.