Regragui Explains Omission of Youth Players: 'Timing Not Right, None Starting for Clubs After World Cup'

Morocco national team coach Walid Regragui held a press conference this Friday morning to announce the squad called up for the friendly matches against Mozambique and Uganda. During the conference, he addressed the reasons for not including some U20 players in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Regragui stated: "What the Moroccan U20 national team achieved was exceptional because it sends a strong message about Moroccan football to the world, confirming that Morocco has reached a high level in competitions, whether with the senior team or other age categories."

He continued: "The timing is not suitable because the players have just come out of the Youth World Cup with a mix of emotions and great success, and they have rejoined their clubs. If you notice, none of them – Othmane Maama, Yasser Zairi, or Yassine Jassim – has started as a regular with their team."

Regragui added: "The U20 players must show me that they are capable of securing a starting spot with their clubs. They have one month to prove to me that they can displace a player from this current squad and replace them."

The coach further explained: "There could be a young player, a 'joker' as it's known, in the Africa Cup of Nations squad, similar to what I did in the World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. I always enjoy including a young player."

He concluded: "For me, participation in the U20 World Cup was not enough, and they were not part of the final 27-player list, but they are not far from it."