Marseille’s Amine Harit Reveals Loyalty to Morocco Despite French Youth Success

"I was well aware that once I reached the professional level, my allegiance would be to Morocco. However, I have no regrets about representing the French national team in the youth categories. It turned out to be a fantastic experience and I learned valuable lessons from that period," he said in an interview with the French magazine So Foot. He was keen to specify that he was born in France to Moroccan parents: "Both of my parents are Moroccan, born in France, but we spoke Arabic at home. The choice of the Moroccan national team was a matter of family and roots."

Victim of a serious knee injury on November 13, 2022 during a match against AS Monaco, Amine missed the Qatar World Cup which he describes as a "wonderful" event. Morocco became the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. Today, the 26-year-old player wants to experience the atmosphere of Qatar at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in which he will participate. "I really want to feel the same feelings during the AFCON," he will say.

The Atlas Lions flew out on Sunday for Côte d’Ivoire where the 34th edition of the AFCON will take place. Classified in Group F, they will take the field on Wednesday, January 17. They will challenge Tanzania at the Laurent Pokou stadium in San Pedro, before playing a new match against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, January 21, always at the same stadium and finally Zambia on Wednesday, January 24. Two days before the kick-off, Walid Regragui’s protégés will face Sierra Leone in a friendly match on Thursday, January 11 in San Pedro.