Moroccan-Belgian Defender Faces National Team Decision Amid World Cup Qualifiers

Zakaria El Ouahdi had put in impressive performances with the Moroccan under-23 national team during the 2024 Paris Olympics, which aroused the interest of Walid Regragui who did not spare his praise for him. However, the coach of the Atlas Lions has excluded him from the list of players called up for the upcoming matches of the Moroccan national team. Since then, the Belgian press has been putting pressure on the 23-year-old player to choose to join the Belgian national team.

Will the Moroccan defender give in to the pressure? A source close to the player answers in the negative. His wish is to play for Morocco. "Since the announcement of the national team’s list, Zakaria’s phone has not stopped ringing. Many Belgian journalists have tried to contact him to find out his position on the Belgian national team, but he did not hesitate to reaffirm that he wants to play for Morocco," this source said.

And to add: "El Ouahdi feels immense pride in his Moroccan identity. Despite the current lack of interest from Regragui, his main objective remains to wear the Moroccan national team jersey. Although he is under strong pressure from the Belgian press, he is fully aware of the difficulty of the competition within the selection, but he continues to work hard, hoping to see his dream of playing with the Atlas Lions come true."