Morocco has recently “stolen” several talents trained in Belgium, sometimes even players with real prospects in the national team, like Bilal El Khannouss. And the Moroccan federation is keeping an eye on Rayane Bounida!
The “struggle” for binational talents is a habit in football, and very often from youth teams onwards. It’s fair game, even if the situation of certain great talents can sometimes be a little unhealthy (we think of the pressure that the Iraqi federation carried out on Ameen Al-Dakhil, or the current situation of Kos Karestsas).
Morocco, for its part, has often been in the fight for the greatest Belgian-Moroccan talents: Nacer Chadli played a friendly match with the Atlas Lions before becoming Red Devil, Mehdi Carcela went the opposite way.
Before the 2022 World Cup, the Moroccan federation struck a major blow by attracting Anass Zaroury and Bilal El Khannouss, who had passed through the Belgian age teams. Recently, the case of Zakaria El Ouahdi was mentioned. But the greatest talent Rayane Bounida he too risks having to make a choice.
Now aligned with Jong Ajax, the U23 team in Dutch D2, Bounida continues his progress. Even if, at 18, he still seems far from the A team (for physical reasons), the former RSC Anderlecht prodigy is developing well. In two appearances in Dutch D2, Bounida has already scored two goals.
According to information from Fennecfootballbut also from several North African sources, the Moroccan federation would have contacted the player and his entourage in order to convince him to become a Moroccan international. On the Belgian side, we would also put pressure on the Ajax Amsterdam gem to stay with us.
Rayane Bounida is currently an U19 international, where he is captain (7 caps, 2 goals). But it wouldn’t be surprising if he quickly made the jump to the U21 team, in order to make him feel his importance for Belgian football…
