Former Morocco Captain Saïss Seeks National Team Return After Injury

For the player, playing for Morocco represents "a new breath" and a source of pride, sometimes contrasting with his feelings at the club level.

Saïss also mentioned the period under Vahid Halilhodžić, marked according to him by "manifest tension", particularly following the exclusion of players like Ziyech and Mazraoui for disciplinary reasons. He believes these situations could have been handled internally. "It wasn’t easy to manage the atmosphere, and we found ourselves, as veterans of the team, forced to play a mediator role," he specified, adding that he had unsuccessfully tried to reason with the coach at the time when "things were already out of control."

In contrast, he praises the current coach Walid Regragui, calling him an "intelligent man" who knew how to "breathe new life" into the team before the 2022 World Cup. Saïss confirms that Regragui contacted key players, including himself in Istanbul, before his appointment to prepare his project and restore cohesion. "I personally played a role in persuading Hakim [Ziyech] to return, as he is an indispensable player," he declared.

He attributes Morocco’s results at the 2022 World Cup to "mature and organized collective work," highlighting the key role of the cohesion restored by Regragui in reaching the semi-finals.

Regarding his future, Saïss assures: "I will do everything possible to regain my physical condition after the injury. I will not delay in answering the call of the homeland if I am asked to." His last appearance for the national team was in June 2024 during the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.