Lens Midfielder El Aynaoui Undecided on International Future

Neil El Aynaoui is having trouble deciding. At the end of the match between Olympique de Marseille (OM) and RC Lens, which ended in a victory for the Lensois with the Franco-Moroccan as the architect, journalists asked him if he was thinking about the Moroccan team, but he gave an evasive answer. "For now, I’m trying to evolve, to make my way and what will come, will come," he replied. The 23-year-old midfielder is not about to join the Atlas Lions squad.

This is not the first time that El Aynaoui has hesitated to choose Morocco as his sporting nationality. Approached by Walid Regragui last year, he had asked for time to think before deciding. This has annoyed the coach of the Moroccan national team. "In the end, he remains a player who interests us and he must make a decision, and if he does not, we will make it in his place, we will not wait long," Walid Regragui had warned during the pre-match press conference against Mauritania.

As for the information according to which El Aynaoui had already turned down the advances of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) before the 2023 CAN, preferring to focus on his club, a supporter who exchanged with the 23-year-old player provided a denial. According to him, Regragui had never really summoned the Franco-Moroccan midfielder before the tournament.