Wahbi Explains Boufal's Omission: 'He Deserved It, But We Seek Specific Wing Roles'

National coach Mohamed Wahbi addressed the absence of Sofiane Boufal from the final squad of the Moroccan national team, called up to participate in the 2026 World Cup finals.

During a press conference regarding Boufal's deservingness to be in the Atlas Lions' final squad, Wahbi stated: "He certainly deserved it, but if I could choose 30 or 40 players, I would have. The problem is that I only select 26 players. Based on what he has offered, he naturally deserved to be there. However, the players who were chosen also deserve their spots, which is why I made this decision."

He continued: "Regarding the number 10 playmaking position, I was frank with him from the beginning and told him that this position is crowded, and there are players ahead of him. That's why I wanted him to be present in the camp, and I was very impressed with his performance."

Wahbi added: "For this reason, we placed him on the left wing, and he showed good and interesting things. He is a good player, and while this is part of the past, he is also capable of delivering good performances now, with a strong personality. He was excellent within the group, especially with the young players. However, we chose players with different characteristics that better suit what we are looking for."

He concluded: "We are looking for very specific roles on the wings, and this falls within our plan, our playing style, and what we want in football. That is why we made this selection based on these criteria."