The Federation royale marocaine de football (FRMF) has opened discussions with Stade de Reims assistant coach Samba Diawara about a possible role within Morocco’s national-team set-up.
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri of Sky Sport Suisse, Diawara is being considered as the federation continues to shape Mohamed Ouahbi’s backroom team. The 48-year-old remains at Reims, where he is currently working under Nicolas Usai after previously serving as an assistant to Karel Geraerts last season.
No agreement has been reached and the FRMF has made no official announcement. However, the possibility of Diawara joining the Moroccan set-up is understood to be gaining substance.
Born in Paris, Diawara is Franco-Malian and represented Mali 14 times during his playing career. Despite his name, he is not Senegalese. The former defender later moved into coaching, working with Charleroi and Anderlecht, mainly as an assistant or within their youth structures, before joining Reims in November 2022.
His experience across both youth development and senior football fits the approach pursued by the Moroccan federation in recent years. Ouahbi’s staff has already been assembled with a range of complementary profiles, including Joao Sacramento as first assistant.
Diawara has taken on increasing responsibility during his time in Champagne. Following several caretaker spells, he was appointed Reims head coach in February 2025. Despite the club’s difficult sporting circumstances, he guided them to the Coupe de France final, where they were beaten by PSG.
He returned to an assistant’s role after the arrival of Geraerts. His knowledge of French-speaking football, work with young players and experience operating within different coaching structures are all understood to have attracted the FRMF’s interest.
The precise nature of any potential appointment has yet to be decided. Two options are reportedly being examined: bringing Diawara directly into Ouahbi’s staff with the Lions de l’Atlas, or assigning him a role with Morocco’s U23 side.
The discussions follow earlier uncertainty over the position of Ouahbi’s second assistant. Adil Ramzi and Youssouf Hadji had been in contention for the role, with Hadji eventually confirmed.
Some reports have also suggested that Diawara could become an assistant national team manager. For now, negotiations remain ongoing and the federation has not confirmed any appointment.
Should he join Morocco, Diawara would add international experience and a background in player development as the national teams prepare to begin a new cycle after the 2026 World Cup. It remains unclear whether he would work immediately alongside Ouahbi or initially take charge of a role with the Espoirs.