Pressure is mounting on the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) to secure the international future of Ajax midfielder Abdellah Ouazane, following his impressive pre-season performances that attracted interest from both the Netherlands and Morocco.
Reports indicate that technical director Nigel de Jong is being urged to initiate discussions with the 17-year-old prospect.
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The Moroccan Football Federation previously engaged with Ouazane at a young age, including an honor at the Moroccan consulate in Amsterdam in November 2023 after his youth debut.
Morocco's Diaspora Strategy
Former Moroccan Football Federation technical director Chris van Puyvelde explained the strategic approach used to recruit diaspora players for the national team.
"Our plan with Appie worked well," he said.
Van Puyvelde outlined how the federation targeted specific player profiles that were lacking in the local youth system.
"It was part of the new policy to look much more at the diaspora. Morocco lacked offensively-minded players who can play through the lines," he explained.
"In Morocco, they play twenty against twenty on fifty square meters on the street.
You don't have the ball often, so when you have it, you don't give it away. At most, you give a little pass to the side.
I am exaggerating, but we had fewer players with Appie's profile," Van Puyvelde added.
Although Ouazane previously represented Dutch youth teams before choosing Morocco, reports indicate his commitment remains firmly with the North African nation.
