Anouar Ait El Hadj, midfielder of Union Saint-Gilloise, is now an international Moroccan. After represented the selections of young Belgians, he decided to play for Morocco, his country of origin. This decision, officially validated by FIFA, puts an end to rumors circulating in certain Algerian and Belgian media according to which it would have declined the Moroccan offer.
Aged 21, Ait El Hadj has a remarkable season with 5 goals and 4 assists in 33 games. His contract with the Union runs until 2028. According to sources close to the player, this decision is the fruit of long discussions with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). This approach is part of a broader strategy of the FRMF, which actively pursues the recruitment of young binational talents evolving in Europe.
Like Bilal El Khannous, another player from Belgian training who chose to represent Morocco and who distinguished himself during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Ait El Hadj now hopes to contribute to the influence of Atlas Lions. His family also confirmed his choice for Morocco, denying the information saying that he would have reinstated the Belgian selection.
Morocco strikes hard
This recruitment is added to other recent successes of the FRMF, who convinced players like Ilias Akhomach, Brahim Díaz and Eliesse Ben Seghir to wear the colors of Morocco rather than those of Spain or France.
