Morocco Intensifies Efforts to Recruit Dual-Nationality Soccer Stars Yamal and Diaz

The choice of the sporting nationality of Yamal and Diaz is considered a "matter of State", comments the Spanish press. While Spain is trying its best to snatch the Hispano-Moroccan-Equatorial Guinean Lamine Yamal, who made his promising debuts in the youth categories of Barça and the Spanish national team (U15, U16, U17 and U19), and the striker of Moroccan origin Brahim Diaz, who participated in the 2016 European Under-17 Championship in Azerbaijan alongside other Spanish players, representatives of King Mohammed VI have personally contacted the two players to convince them to defend the colors of Morocco, we learn.

The king’s emissaries have made them understand that they will not only play for one of the best football teams in the world, but they will also become icons in Morocco, by leading the kingdom to the 2030 World Cup, which it wishes to host alongside Spain and Portugal.

For the moment, these two dual nationals are not on the list of players that Walid Regragui retains for the two next matches of the Atlas Lions, on September 9 in Agadir against Liberia for the CAN qualifiers and on the 12th of the same month against Burkina Faso, in Lens, France, in a friendly match. But a "yes" from them would be enough for the coach of the Moroccan national team to call them up. Regragui has already had discussions with Yamal as well as Brahim Diaz, in this sense. For now, the players have not yet clearly given a favorable answer.