Morocco U20 & U23: New Coaches Appointed – Batelli & Sektioui?

Following the appointment of Mohamed Ouahbi as head coach of the Morocco national team, recent leadership appears to be in place for the U20 and U23 squads: Ludovic Batelli and Tarik Sektioui, respectively.

After Mohamed Ouahbi’s move to lead the Morocco A team, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is reportedly set to name new managers for the U20 and U23 teams, positions previously held by Ouahbi.

Sektioui Poised for Return to U23 Role?

Rumors suggest Tarik Sektioui will reclaim his position as head coach of the U23 team, a role he previously held during their historic run to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. That achievement marked the first time a Moroccan team sport had reached the podium at the Olympics.

Having orchestrated a successful 2025 with the Morocco A team, winning both the CHAN tournament and the Arab Cup, Sektioui would be tasked with guiding the Atlas Lions to the 2027 U23 CAN tournament. Qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and a performance at least matching their 2024 success would be the ultimate goals.

However, insider Youssef notes that nothing is finalized at this time, and Youssouf Hadji is currently expected to oversee the next FIFA date.

❌ Tarik Sektioui n’est pas le coach de l’équipe nationale U23 à l’instant T. Les négociations n’ont pas encore abouties et Youssouf Hadji est toujours pressenti pour gérer cette date FIFA. https://t.co/fiuPNDXlJC

— Youssef (@youssefamz13) March 15, 2026

Frenchman Ludovic Batelli to Lead Morocco U20?

Meanwhile, Ludovic Batelli is set to grab the reins of the U20 squad, according to Izem Anass. A 2016 World Cup winner with the French U19 team, Batelli will inherit the legacy left by Ouahbi, who led Morocco to its first-ever world title in any category.

✍️ 𝗟𝘂𝗱𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶 𝗮 𝗲́𝘁𝗲́ 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲́ 𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘃𝗲𝗮𝘂 𝘀𝗲́𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲 𝗹’𝗲́𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗱𝘂 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗰 𝗨𝟮𝟬, 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶 𝗹𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲̀𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝘂𝗮𝗵𝗯𝗶 𝗮̀ 𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲. 🇲🇦🦁 pic.twitter.com/cqC5ln1Jip

— Izem Anass (@Izemanass) March 15, 2026

Batelli was most recently available after leaving his position as technical director of Club Africain in Tunisia in September 2025. He previously served as a youth coordinator for Algeria (February-October 2019) and as a technical director in Côte d’Ivoire for two years, from September 2022 to October 2024.