There was a lot of talk about Brahim Diaz’s switch from Spain to Morocco. The Spanish media even suggested that Real Madrid’s midfielder was not ‘patriotic’ enough after switching sides, but the president of the Moroccan Federation had a different view on the matter. Fouzi Lekjaa was talking to Marca, and he mentioned not only Diaz’s case but also failed talent Munir, Morocco’s attempt to lure Lamine Yamal, and the date of the next AFCON.17-year-old Lamine Yamal and 16-year-old Pau Cubarsi reporting to International duty 🇪🇸Barcelona and Spain’s future 💎 pic.twitter.com/KrjoS9Bcn4— Sports Brief (@sportsbriefcom) March 19, 2024 When it comes to Diaz, Lekjaa insisted that his federation didn’t have to convince the player, but simply had a better project for him.“It is not about convincing, it is about explaining to the players the project that Morocco has for them. And then, the person decides. Our project is very seductive: playing the 2025 Africa Cup at home; the 2026 World Cup; and the 2030 World Cup, also at home. We explain how we work here, the working conditions we offer them. We have not only attracted Brahim, but also Ilias Akhomach, who was already playing for the Spanish Under 21 and we have given him an upgrade… or Yusi, who plays for Madrid… But if anyone chooses France or Spain, we will We respect and wish you good luck” he responded.Brahim has chosen MoroccoThere was also talk about Munir, who was called by Spain in 2014 when he was playing for Barcelona, but then he disappeared. In some cases, it looks like the Spanish federation (just like other big ones) is in a hurry to give young players their first cap prevent them from changing sides and then not call them anymore.“It is not normal to call a footballer to play 15 minutes in a game and… that’s it. I don’t know who the coach was at that time, but with Munir his progression stopped: neither with Spain nor with Morocco. Perhaps, if he had continued with one or the other, he would have progressed much more. And he got lost. Then we recovered it for our country, but… football must help the progression of young people” said Lekjaa. REPORTS: Morocco to host AFCON 2025 between July and AugustUnlike Munir, current Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is such a talent at 17, that he is all but guaranteed a place in the Spanish national team and not only for 15 minutes. Lekjaa revealed that his federation tried to speak to the youngster, but that he already chose Spain.“We met with his parents (the father is Moroccan and the mother is Equatoguinean). We conveyed our project to him and his family, but Lamine was already convinced of going with Spain. And we wish you good luck and great work. Spain and Morocco are separated by 14 kilometers and it is normal for these things to happen. I respect Lamine and I respect Brahim. The most important thing is that the Federations allow the development of the player. He is a professional and we respect his choice. And Brahim will not be the last player Morocco chooses or vice versa. We are in a world without borders” said Lekjaa. ##NAJAVA_MECA_7975205##Morocco will be the host of the next AFCON in 2025 but the date is still not confirmed, mainly due to the fact that the new Club World Cup will be played in June-July.“The Cup will be in Morocco. That is the only thing that is clear and what I want to highlight. If the African Confederation decides sooner or later, everyone is welcome and there will be no problem. FIFA decided that the Club World Cup will go from June 15 to July 13. And I already told you that the Africa Cup in our country will NOT be held at the same time as that tournament. No. There are many players who can play both tournaments: Achraf, Brahim, Salah… Therefore, we will not organize a parallel tournament that those stars cannot attend. Either we do it after the Club World Cup or we do it on another date to allow a complete celebration of African football” explained Lekjaa.
