Hakim Ziyech: Ex-Chelsea star's brother claims 'his toe is better than Morocco squad' after AFCON 2025 Mali draw

Hakim Ziyech is one of the notable absentees from Morocco's squad for AFCON 2025. Following the 1-1 draw against Mali on Friday, one of his brothers did not hold back in criticising Walid Regragui's side.

Booed by the crowd at the Stade Moulay-Abdallah in Rabat at the final whistle, Morocco were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Mali on Friday in matchday two of the AFCON 2025 group stage. After a largely controlled first half, the Atlas Lions dropped their intensity in the second period and were deservedly pegged back, with Lassine Sinayoko's penalty (64') cancelling out Brahim Diaz's spot-kick (45+5').

"It's a reality - we have a lot of technical waste on our crosses, even on our set pieces, which weren't well taken. We need to raise our technical level," Regragui admitted after the match. 

That technical quality is something a player like Hakim Ziyech could obviously have provided. However, the 32-year-old winger has not been called up to the national team since September 2024. And according to one of his brothers, the "Magician" could clearly have contributed to the squad.

Yet to play since Chelsea exit

"His right toe is better than the entire squad," one of Hakim Ziyech's brothers posted on Instagram after the draw. The kind of comment that is highly unlikely to sit well with Regragui, who has insisted for several months on the sacred unity he believes is essential to winning AFCON on home soil.

Signed by Wydad Casablanca in November after several months without a club, Hakim Ziyech - whose other brother, Essam, passed away this week - has yet to play for his new side. The former Chelsea talent is likely short of match fitness, and it would have been difficult to imagine him participating in this AFCON despite his technical quality.