Morocco criticism grows over Mohamed Ouahbi’s limited use of Abdellah Ouazane

Mohamed Ouahbi has faced his first significant criticism as Morocco manager after Abdellah Ouazane and several other new players were given minimal opportunities during the latest international camp.

Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Mali on Sunday renewed questions about the team’s performances, but it was Ouahbi’s handling of Ouazane that drew particular frustration from supporters.

The 17-year-old Ajax midfielder remained an unused substitute in Tangier, prompting one widely shared reaction on social media: “Incomprehensible.” Other observers also questioned why Soufiane El Faouzi and Tawfik Bentayeb were given so little time on the pitch.

Across the camp, Yassir Zabiri played 62 minutes, while Ouazane featured for 14 minutes, Bentayeb for seven and El Faouzi for six. Samir El Mourabet did not play.

Ouazane’s situation has become the main focus of the criticism. His first call-up to the Lions of the Atlas was one of the most notable changes in Ouahbi’s squad, following an encouraging start to the season with Ajax.

The attacking midfielder, who is 17, has begun to establish himself in the Dutch club’s first team. Ouahbi had even travelled to Amsterdam to watch him after his early performances attracted attention.

The manager was under no obligation to give every new player substantial minutes. Morocco’s first two matches of the camp were 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, making it important to build stability in a team that is still relatively new.

However, the friendly against Mali appeared to offer a better opportunity to experiment. Bentayeb was introduced in the 90th minute, when Morocco were attempting to regain the lead, leaving him almost no time to make an impression.

“No Faouzi, no Ouazane… Ouahbi, ask yourself the right questions,” the Lion Times account posted.

The complaints mark the first clearly visible challenge to Ouahbi since he took charge. He arrived with significant goodwill after winning the World title with the Under-20s, before that reputation was strengthened by Morocco’s run to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

Morocco are sixth in the FIFA rankings and now operate under exceptionally high expectations. Even a home draw with a strong Mali side, despite the match being a friendly, was enough to trigger debate over the manager’s decisions.

Walid Regragui discovered that previous achievements offer limited protection for long on the Morocco bench. Ouahbi’s team selections, substitutions and public comments are likely to face closer scrutiny from now on.

The calls for opportunities for the young players are understandable when they have been selected but given little chance to demonstrate their abilities. Yet it would be excessive to judge Ouahbi’s entire project after one camp.

For now, the key question is not whether the manager has made a mistake, but when he intends to properly test the players he chose to bring into the squad.