Rayane Bounida receives first Morocco national team call-up

Rayane Bounida has received his first call-up to the Morocco national football team, shortly after confirming his decision to represent the country at international level.

The 20-year-old attacker, who plays for Ajax, has already joined up with the squad for the current international break, marking a swift progression from his declaration to his inclusion in the national set-up.

It was confirmed earlier in the week that Bounida had chosen to pursu

e his international career with Morocco rather than Belgium, where he had previously been part of the youth system. Within just over a day of that decision becoming public, the forward was selected by head coach Mohamed Ouahbi.

The timing of the call-up was subject to administrative approval, as FIFA needed to validate the change of sporting nationality before the move could be completed. With that process finalised, Bounida became eligible for selection and was promptly added to the squad.

His inclusion places him among a group of dual-national players who have opted to represent Morocco at senior level.

Others who have made similar decisions include Souffian El Karouani, Noussair Mazraoui, Anass Salah-Eddine, Ismaël Saibari, Oussama Targhalline and Ismaël Baouf.

Bounida’s call-up comes as Morocco continue preparations for upcoming international fixtures, including friendly matches against Ecuador national football team and Paraguay national football team scheduled for late March.

Looking further ahead, Morocco are also set to compete at the World Cup, where group-stage matches against Brazil national football team, Scotland national football team and Haiti national football team have already been scheduled.

For Bounida, the call-up represents a significant milestone, opening the door to a potential international debut and the opportunity to establish himself within the national team setup.