Morocco, at the origins of the surprise: 14 out of 26 were born outside

Africa against Europe, but with reversed roles. This is also France-Morocco, two national teams that intertwine by origin and nationality, contaminating each other, for a world semifinal anyway. If there are at least a dozen French people from Africa, as many as 14 Moroccans out of the 26 in Doha were born far from their country, and almost all of them in Europe, including the Italian Cheddira, as l’Equipe recalled this morning. Or the Dutchman Ziyech, whom Marco Van Basten called stupid for having given up on the Oranjes. In short, it will be a very heartfelt race from every point of view for many of them.

HERE FRANCE

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Of Regragui’s internationals – the coach, son of the Paris region who made his coaching debut in Morocco after a career as a full-back between France and Spain – two were born in France. Sofian Boufal in Paris, although he later grew up with his Moroccan mother in Angers after he was trained and returned after various experiences between Lille, Southampton and Celta Vigo. The first call from Morocco dates back to the 2017 Africa Cup, but he he pulled back, because he still had the Blues in mind, but they always ignored him. But it was the French coach Hervé Renard who made him debut with the shirt of family origins, on 26 March 2016, against Cape Verde. Which was also the second game for Romain Saiss, the captain born in Bourg-en-Peage, west of Grenoble, now at Besiktas, but also passed for Angers.

HERE ITALY

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In Italy, in Loreto, Walid Cheddira was born and raised. His father Aziz arrived from Morocco in 1984, but the 24-year-old has never passed through the blue youth teams, or even the Moroccan ones. However, the Bari forward was called up by Regragui for the World Cup: “A dream, an honor, an immense joy,” commented the Italian on social media, but was sent off on Saturday against Portugal. Selim Amallah is also a bit Italian, but he was born in Hautrage, Belgium, to a mother of Italian origin. The Spanish coach of the Diables Rouges courted him in 2019, but the midfielder preferred to respond to Vahid Halihdzic’s call-up: “Without hesitation,” explained the 26-year-old from Standard Liège.

HERE BELGIUM

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Three other Moroccans were born in the “Plat Pays”. Ilias Chair, from Antwerp, with a father of Moroccan origin and a mother of Polish origin. The Queen Park Rangers midfielder passed through the Moroccan Under-20s and the Olympic selection before confirming himself in the main squad a year and a half ago. Bilal El-Khannouss and Anass Zaroury have an opposite path, born respectively in Strombeek-Bever and Mechelen, who joined the Moroccan national team after defending the Belgian colors with the youth teams. El-Khannouss, a 2004 from Genk, since the Under 15, but became Moroccan in 2021, relying on the nationality of his grandparents. The 22-year-old from Charleroi, Belgian from Under 16 to Under 21, even in the Euro 2023 qualifiers, in the end opted for Morocco: “If I could – he declared at home – I would choose both national teams”. However, he went to Qatar thanks to the injury of the French-Moroccan Amine Harit, from Marseille.

HERE NETHERLANDS

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More controversial, however, are the stories of Regragui’s four “Dutchmen”. Star Hakim Ziyech even made the squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Then between injuries, coaching changes and misunderstandings, the Chelsea winger decided to choose the jersey of his origins: “I’ve always felt Moroccan”, he explained in 2015. And Van Basten defined the choice as “incomprehensible”, publicly calling him an “idiot ”, recalls the team. But neither has his Moroccan football life been a calm river. He quarreled with the then coach Halilhodzic and announced his retirement from the national team at the age of 26, then returning with Regragui. Not even Zakaria Bouckhlal of Toulouse, born in Rotterdam of a Moroccan mother, with a Libyan father, didn’t hesitate, who said no to the Dutch Under 21 team, after having played for the other youth teams. More hesitant was Noussair Mazraoui, from Bayern Munich, of Moroccan parents, but originally from Leyde. Before opting for Morocco, the full-back met the then coach Koeman.

HERE CANADA

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Leader of the midfield, Sofyan Amrabat was born in Huizen about thirty kilometers from Amsterdam. But the Fiorentina player, who moved to the Dutch Under 15, migrated quickly to the Moroccan selections, despite having already been at the door of Greater Holland in 2017. He was convinced, l’Equipe always recalls, by Hervé Renard, and the choice he made uproar in Holland. Contrary to what happened for the Spaniards Achraf Hakimi and Munir El Kajoui. The PSG full-back, formerly of Inter, was born in Madrid, but joined the Moroccan national team at the age of 16, with the Under 20s. His debut with the senior national team was already in 2016. At 24, he is main leaders. El Kajoui, now at Al-Wehda (Saudi Arabia), born in the Spanish enclave of Melilla, never ended up on the Roja’s radar and made his debut with Morocco as early as 2014. Last but not least, there is Yassine Bounou. The Sevilla goalkeeper was born to Moroccan parents in Canada, where he only stayed for a couple of years.