Morocco name AC Milan prodigy Akram Jadid in first U17 squad

Ahmed Kantari has named 15-year-old Akram Jadid in Morocco’s first squad to prepare for the U17 World Cup, alongside a young FC Barcelona defender who had recently been called up by Spain.

Jadid, born in 2011, has been selected for a group made up largely of players from the 2009 generation, meaning he could face opponents up to two years older than him.

The squad is separate from the team managed by Nabil Baha. Kantari is working with the 2009-born players ahead of the U17 World Cup, where Morocco will play Vietnam, Australia and Panama. Baha is preparing the 2010 generation for qualification for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Jadid’s inclusion underlines his rapid progress at AC Milan, where the Italian-Moroccan is regarded by the club as a “top talent”. He has already been invited to train with the first team despite being only 15.

Comfortable with either foot, Jadid can operate as a number 10, on either wing, behind the striker or further forward. His main strengths are creativity and his ability to beat opponents.

He has scored about 700 goals during his youth career, statistics which have contributed to the attention around him. However, his physical development means caution is still required.

Jadid was born and developed in Italy and also holds Italian nationality, so his long-term international choice will remain of interest. Morocco currently has the advantage, with the teenager having already represented the country at U16 level before his promotion to the U17 squad.

Kantari has also secured the involvement of Ahmed Abarkane, a left-back at FC Barcelona. The player of Moroccan origin was called up by Spain U17 only a few days before being included in Morocco’s squad.

His selection does not permanently decide his international future, but it shows that the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football has attracted him to its project despite concrete interest from Spain.

Abarkane is not the only player from FC Barcelona’s academy in the squad. Ismail Ziani has also been selected, while Omar Chaoui will represent Real Madrid.

Nassim Laarej is another notable choice. The young player, who has already appeared for OGC Nice’s senior side, opted to join Morocco despite being called up by France.

The squad also reflects the extensive scouting work carried out among the Moroccan diaspora. Ibrahim Rabbaj of Chelsea, Adam Mouak of Paris Saint-Germain, Imran Talai and Marouane Bentaleb of Ajax, Ilian Hadidi and Adnan El Boujjoufi of Feyenoord, Rami Lougmani of Anderlecht and Mohamed Habib Zinbi of Atletico Madrid are among those included.

Kantari therefore has a squad drawn from several of Europe’s leading academies, alongside players developed in Morocco. Jadid’s promotion, Laarej’s decision over France and Abarkane’s inclusion after Spain’s approach underline how early the competition for dual-national players now begins.