Badou Ezaki is without any doubt one of the most
prestigious figures of African football.
In its native land, Morocco, it is an alive legend. Born and raised in Sale, it decides at the 17
years age to launch out in the great bath.
It emigrates in Casablanca, where it signs at one of the best clubs of
the country, Wydad Casablanca. Its next
stage leads it in Spain, where it keeps the goals of Real Majorque during ten
years. The most memorable episode of its
career is without any doubt the World cup of the FIFA, Mexico 1986, where the
large guard and captain of Morocco become the first African to take along his
team to the second turn of the test queen.
The Lions of the Atlas treat to even the luxury to finish at the head of
a group which also included/understood England, Portugal, and Poland. In spite of several spectacular stops of
Ezaki, they are inclined with the following turn against Germany, finalist this
year, conceding the single goal of the part right before the end of the
prescribed time. "Mexico 1986 was
our golden age, but it is only at the time of our return to the country that we
carried out the range of our exploit", tells it. 1986 year magic, since a few days after
having returned from Central America, the happy captain becomes a happy
dad. His Finnish wife indeed gives rise
to a girl, named by Hassan II in person.
The late king decides to call it Princesse Hasna, supreme sign of
recognition coming to thank the captain for the Lions for services rendered to
the nation. "Ç' was the greatest
honor of my life and since, Hasna carried always me happiness", entrusts
Ezaki. And to crown one year
unforgettable, it is also elected African Joueur of the year. Surface with the bench of key In 1992, Ezaki
is constrained to put a term at its career of player because of a serious wound
undergone against Cameroun, at the time of a match of Cut of Africa of the
Nations in Senegal.
However, its days in
the world of the round balloon are far from being counted. "football was my life and it will be it
always. When I had to stop my career of
player, I wanted to do something which enables me to as remain close as
possible of the lawn. The trade of
trainer filled this criterion well ", remembers it. It makes its classes of coach in Moroccan
clubs: Chabab Mohammedia, WERE
Reduction, WAC, Kawkab Marrakech - where it obtains excellent results - and
FARMHOUSE Fes. Ten years later, it is seen entrusting the reins of the team of
Morocco to replace the Portuguese Humberto Coelho, of which he initially was
the assistant. Since its taking up of
duties, Ezaki carried out a certain number of changes in the composition of its
group. It thus opens the doors of the
national selection to the younger generation, with the image of Of Bordeaux
Marouane Chamakh, Sochalien Jawad Zaïri and talented Youssef Hadji - brother of
the African Player of the year 1998, Mustafa Hadji. When FIFAworldcup.com requires of him to
explain the reasons of its choices, it entrusts: "Much of people said to me that I took
risks, but, personally, I acted only for the good of the team