RC Lens Midfielder Neil El Aynaoui Signals Potential Morocco National Team Switch

Has Neil El Aynaoui finally chosen Morocco as his sporting nationality or is he about to do so? Recently, the Franco-Moroccan started following the official accounts of the Atlas Lions on social media. Many Moroccan supporters believe this is a clear signal of his intention to join the national team ranks.

During the last national team gathering in March, Walid Regragui spoke on the subject at a press conference. "The door remains open for El Aynaoui," he specified, adding that "Morocco is (however) bigger than any player." The Moroccan national team coach expresses his interest in this interesting profile, but says he "needs fully committed players." He was thus alluding to the misunderstanding between the player’s father and himself.

After this conference, the former Moroccan tennis legend, Younès El Aynaoui, Neil’s father, provided clarifications. It appears that his son’s progress had been hindered by several injuries in recent months. Younès also assured that he is "in contact with Walid Regragui regarding Neil." It remains to be seen whether the discussions between the two parties have been successful for the 23-year-old player to join the Atlas Lions squad.

If he receives his first call-up to the national team, Neil could join the next training camp of the Atlas Lions, and play in the matches against Tunisia and Benin, scheduled for June.