Morocco Coach Regragui Urges Clarity from Dual-Nationality Players

"I had met the little Guendouzi at a match, I was in charge at FUS de Rabat. He had come with the French U20s to the Mohammed VI complex to play against the Moroccan U20s. When I saw his name, I asked him if he was Moroccan. He told me he was of Moroccan origin. I told him: ’Don’t you want to play for Morocco?’. He told me: ’No, it’s France for me.’ And he stayed, bravo to him," reports BFMTV.

For Walid Regragui, the players that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation or its emissaries try to convince should not "play on ambiguity. The players who made their choice very early like Hakimi, Mazraoui, Zyiech... you don’t have any problems." Several times, the Federation has been accused of poaching talent from other countries. But for the Moroccan national team coach, the Federation works in a logic of approach by sending observers in every country where Moroccan-origin players play.

"We are in contact with them from a very young age. We are not there to poach products, we are there to support them in their choice, we want people who are sure to wet the jersey for Morocco and sure of their choice, not by default. You come to Morocco because you have chosen Morocco, but you won’t blackmail and you mustn’t hesitate. As soon as there is hesitation, it means you are not made to come and play for Morocco."