Morocco’s Ziyech Faces Uncertain National Team Future Amid Controversy

"Ziyech is an opinion leader. He is very followed on social networks, whether we like it or not. He has millions of followers. Even if it is not his primary quality. He is not a journalist, but he is very followed. People, it’s true, are talking about it in Morocco. [...] I fear that Ziyech’s latest media outing could penalize him for various political reasons. [...] It could be complicated...," Ouaddou told Afrik-Foot.

In a post on his Instagram account, Ziyech had expressed his dismay after watching a video posted on social media showing Israeli soldiers shooting and throwing the body of a young Palestinian from the roof of a building. "Let’s make one thing clear... !! To hell with Israel and all the countries that support this kind of behavior. Freedom for Palestine," the Galatasaray midfielder had demanded, before openly criticizing the Moroccan government for its silence on the "genocide" underway in the Gaza Strip. "My message is also for the Government of our own country that supports the genocide. Shame on you, enough is enough," he had added, before deleting this part of his post.

Will the 31-year-old player risk his place with the Moroccan team? Would Youssef En-Nesyri also be in trouble? "Very good question, (laughs) but it’s also a trap question. I’ll still answer it. It depends on the coach’s goals and vision. He has short-term goals, that is to win the home Africa Cup of Nations. On this point, Walid (Regragui) is highly expected. And to achieve this, the coach needs experienced players. So I don’t think he will deprive himself of them. These are players who have provided guarantees of security and competitiveness. Obviously, I’ll tell you that in this regard, Ziyech and En-Nesyri will be very important. It’s up to the coach to see," comments Ouaddou.