Morocco Coach Rules Out Issa Diop for National Team

When questioned about Issa Diop’s absence, Walid Regragui was direct. He stated that he had never had any contact with the player nor received any indication of interest from him or his family to join the Atlas Lions.

"I have never met him, I have never spoken to him," Regragui affirmed. He added: "I have never received a signal from him or his family showing that he wants to play for Morocco."

The coach emphasized his approach to player selection, indicating that he was not in the habit of soliciting players. For him, commitment to the national team must be a voluntary process.

"It’s not up to me to always go knocking on people’s doors to beg them to come," he said, stressing the importance of "Moroccan pride" and the fact that wearing the national jersey is a coveted honor for many Moroccans.

"40 million Moroccans dream of wearing this jersey," Regragui recalled. He concluded by confirming the lack of contact with Issa Diop and the unlikelihood of future collaboration: "There has been no contact, and I don’t think there will be." The door therefore seems definitively closed for the player.