Zakaria El Ouahdi still officially has the choice between representing Belgium and Morocco. But he makes no secret of his preference for the Atlas Lions.
Zakaria El Ouahdi has not yet played a minute with Morocco. Called up for the first time last September, he remained on the bench against Lesotho and Gabon. He was then never called back. The competition (Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui are playing in his position) has for a time fueled rumors about a possible hesitation with the Red Devils.
But he wanted to set things straight in Het Nieuwsblad: “Even if I am told that I am 100% sure of being a starter for the Devils and that in Morocco this chance is only 10%, I ‘would find it difficult to change. I want to do everything in my power to force my luck with Morocco.
“I won Olympic bronze with the Morocco and the African Cup with the under-23s. I have always worn this jersey with pride and I made this choice with my heart. It’s not in me to suddenly slam the door,” he continues.
Achraf Hakimi, the big brother
These moments of joy spent as a group contributed to weighing the balance in favor of the Atlas Lions, notably the Olympic experience: “Suddenly, I found myself in the team with big stars like Hakimi, the top scorer Rahimi and goalkeeper Munir are players I have always encouraged on television.
“It turned out that they were also very humble. Hakimi immediately put me at ease and when my performance on the left side turned out to be good, the train was off. The bronze medal is safe with my parents, it’s a trophy that I will always cherish,” concludes El Ouahdi, with a few stars still in his eyes.
