A number of Chelsea players have sent their messages to their teammate Hakim Ziyech after Morocco secured a spot in the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Having announced his retirement from international football last February after falling out with former manager Vahid Halilhodzic, the 29-year-old made his return to the Morocco national team in September.
He now plays a prominent role in Morocco’s becoming the first African nation to enter the World Cup semifinals, having beaten the likes of Spain and Portugal in the process. What a story.
Having the best defensive record in the tournament, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and the likes of Sofyan Amrabat may have caught more attention, but Ziyech’s one goal and one assist have also proved crucial as the North African side have only found the net five times so far.
In his latest Instagram post, Ziyech uploaded a photo of his celebrating Saturday’s quarter-final win over Portugal after the final whistle and wrote: “Semifinals”.
There are, unsurprisingly, several familiar faces in the comments, including some of his Chelsea teammates.
Ben Chilwell wrote: “Brilliant, bro! Happy for you.”
Trevoh Chalobah added: “Passion.”
Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is currently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, was clearly impressed as he commented: “No stopping.”
Similarly, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang praised the winger and wrote: “Damn good.”
Ziyech has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge ahead of the January transfer window, with Serie A giants AC Milan reportedly interested, but it would not be a surprise if Chelsea manager Graham Potter decided to keep him after his World Cup performance.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
