Feyenoord, Ajax, PSV: Morocco pulls off a historic heist on the best Dutch training centers

To strengthen the Atlas Lions for the 2030 World Cup, Morocco has decided to model its strategy on Argentina’s "Europibes" program. This plan consists of closely monitoring and attracting very early on players born abroad but holding dual nationality. According to the daily La Razón, this acceleration is primarily aimed at preventing the loss of major talents to European selections, like Lamine Yamal’s choice for Spain.

The latest success of this policy is the definitive commitment of five dual nationals trained in the Netherlands. Among them, 20-year-old midfielder Oualid Agougil of Jong FC Utrecht stands out as a figurehead. With eight assists this season, he has already integrated the rotation of the first team, confirming his status as a great hope of Dutch football.

The captain of Feyenoord’s U21s, Ayoub Ouarghi, is also joining the Moroccan ranks. At just 18 years old, he recently made his professional debut in a resounding victory against PEC Zwolle. Previously solicited by the Netherlands youth teams, his choice for Morocco marks a major strategic turning point for the national technical management.

The offensive sector benefits from the arrival of two promising elements from PSV Eindhoven. Sami Bouhoudane, a prolific striker with five goals this season, and Benjamin Khaderi, captain of the club’s U19s, have both validated their future international with the Atlas Lions. These reinforcements demonstrate Morocco’s firepower in the most prestigious training centers.

The goalkeeper position is not left out with the integration of Aymean El Hani. Trained in Utrecht before joining Ajax Amsterdam in 2018, he has already frequented the bench of the club’s reserve team. His profile comes to consolidate a pool of goalkeepers that the federation wishes to secure in the long term in the face of international competition.

This wave of rallies confirms the determination of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to massively integrate talents trained in Europe. By locking in these early sports trajectories, Morocco ensures a competitive depth of squad for the upcoming international events, while healing the wound left by the departures of talents to other nations. Lamine Yamal has left a lot of traces.