Marca: Morocco 'Disrupts' FIFA Nationality Switch Platform with Six New Players in 13 Days

T.E (Elbotola)

26 March 2026at17:55

Spanish newspaper "Marca" highlighted Morocco's success in attracting six young players, either after they changed their sporting nationalities – most recently Ajax Amsterdam player Rayane Bounida – or by choosing to represent Morocco directly.

The report explained that the talent scouting program, launched in 2010, is another fundamental pillar of Morocco's success. This search for talent in countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium has been bolstered by Morocco's recent achievements.

Several players competing in various European leagues have chosen to switch their sporting nationality to Moroccan over the past thirteen days. The newspaper noted that these players represent "future investments for tournaments following the World Cup."

Rayane Bounida (Ajax / 2006) and Saifeddine Lazhar (Genk / 2006) left Belgium to join the Moroccan national team. Meanwhile, Benjamin Khadri (PSV Eindhoven / 2007), Ayoub El Wargui (Feyenoord / 2008), Walid Akougil (Utrecht / 2005), and Sami Bouhoudane (PSV Eindhoven / 2008) opted to represent Morocco instead of the Netherlands.

Among these six players, Bounida managed to join the Moroccan U-17 national team training camp, led by coach Mohamed Ouahbi, in preparation for friendly matches against Ecuador and Paraguay.

The newspaper also reported that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation is monitoring Real Madrid's Thiago Pitarch and Lille's Ayoub Bouaddi, who stated a few days ago that he had not yet made a final decision regarding which national team he would play for.

Q&A

What is Morocco doing to attract new football talent?

Morocco's football program is successfully attracting young players from European leagues, with six talents switching nationalities or choosing to represent Morocco in just 13 days. This success is attributed to a robust talent scouting program launched in 2010, bolstered by recent national team achievements.

How are these nationality switches impacting Morocco's national team?

These nationality switches are significantly bolstering Morocco's national team prospects by securing "future investments for tournaments following the World Cup." The influx of young talent from top European clubs strengthens their youth ranks, as seen with one player already joining the U-17 training camp.

What are Morocco's future plans for scouting and attracting talent?

Morocco's future plans involve continuing their successful talent scouting program across Europe, focusing on countries like Spain and France. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation is actively monitoring additional promising players, indicating a sustained effort to integrate more European-based talent into their national teams.

Morocco