Renard's Memory Test: A Saudi-Morocco Arab Cup Showdown in Qatar
19 November 2025
As the countdown to the 2025 Arab Cup begins, Qatar prepares to host the major football festival from December 1 to 18, with fans eagerly awaiting action from Arab teams, including Saudi Arabia, who arrive with high ambitions and tactical challenges.
The draw places Saudi in Group B alongside Morocco, plus the winners of the Oman-Somalia and Comoros-Yemen fixtures, forming one of the tournament’s strongest groups.
Technical and Emotional Test
The Arab Cup will stage a clash between Saudi and Morocco that becomes both a technical challenge and an emotional test for French coach Hervé Renard. The Saudi-Morocco duel could mark a turning point for Renard, who has left a lasting imprint on both sides during his career.
At Lusail Stadium, the scene of the 2022 World Cup final, the December 8 meeting could decide who tops Group B and who advances with momentum into the knockout rounds.
A Moroccan Chapter
Renard’s journey with Morocco began in 2016, replacing Badou Zaki amid questions about stability and results. Under his leadership, the Atlas Lions reached AFCON milestones and earned a 2018 World Cup qualification—the first for Morocco in 20 years—highlighting a period of notable progress.
Even with a star-studded lineup missing several key players, Morocco made a deep run and reached the AFCON knockout stages, before Renard stepped down in 2019 and moved to Saudi Arabia, setting the stage for a new chapter in his coaching career.
A New Chapter in History
Renard’s tenure with Saudi Arabia has featured a rapid rise to World Cup appearances, including the 2022 finals and the ongoing road to 2026. Across 65 matches with Saudi, he has tallied 29 wins, 15 draws, and 21 defeats, while guiding the team through a disciplined, efficient system and amassing a solid scoring record.
As of now, Renard has steered Saudi Arabia toward another World Cup bid, with the group stage in Qatar acting as a proving ground for his plan as well as the team’s cohesion and resilience.
Saudi vs Morocco head-to-head highlights a long-standing rivalry: they had met 11 times, with Saudi Arabia holding the edge in wins and a few pivotal fixtures shaping their dynamic. The first encounter, in 1961 on Moroccan soil, ended in a historic Saudi victory, while the most recent meeting in 2021 during the Arab Cup group stage saw Morocco claim a 1-0 win over its rival.
The Saudi-Morocco narrative over the years has delivered memorable clashes and a sense that the 2025 Arab Cup will add another compelling chapter to this evolving rivalry.
Punchline 1: If Renard’s playbook were a sniper rifle, every shot would hit the target—even the referee would file a tactical apology.
Punchline 2: In the world of football, the group stage isn’t a maze—it's Renard’s map, and yes, it comes with a lifetime supply of tactical breadcrumbs.
