Morocco Coach Halilhodzic Addresses Dual Nationality Dilemma in National Team Selection

Since his arrival at the head of the Moroccan national football team, Vahid Halilhodzic has often felt irritated by players with dual nationality who do not intend to put their talent at the service of their country. When questioned on the issue, the coach preferred to put himself in the shoes of these players, evoking the anguish that it can provoke for them to choose one country over another. For him, it is often not easy for the players to make a choice.

But he also mentioned the case of these players who have lived all their lives abroad and who have left their careers in the hands of greedy agents who know nothing about patriotism. He also deplores the manipulation carried out in silence by their entourage. "The boys, I know their mentality. There are still players who have refused to play for Morocco. Some have a lot of talent, but how to discuss with uprooted players and who have agents who prevent discussions. You can’t even discuss with these young players. They are in the hands of foreign agents who do everything to prevent the player from representing Morocco. It’s their whole entourage that is like that. We need to form a cell to discuss with them," he stressed.

In addition to certain dual nationals who snub the national team, Vahid Halilhodzic has recently had to face the withdrawal of Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui, while the coach was hoping for their presence in the double confrontation between Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 2022 World Cup play-offs, on March 25 and 29.