Belgian press urges national team to call up Morocco’s Zakaria El-Wahidi

Calls are growing within Belgian sports media for national team coach Domenico Tedesco to take advantage of a unique opportunity and recruit Zakaria El-Wahidi, the Moroccan right-back for Genk, to join the “Red Devils.”

This comes after Moroccan national team coach Walid Regragui left El-Wahidi out of his latest squad, which is set to enter a training camp ahead of crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho.

El-Wahidi, who holds dual Belgian and Moroccan citizenship, remains eligible to represent Belgium.

He has yet to play a match for Morocco’s senior squad, having only served as a reserve during the first leg against Gabon and Lesotho last month.

Prominent Belgian sports analyst and former coach Hein Vanhazebrouck expressed his enthusiasm for El-Wahidi’s potential inclusion in the Belgian national team.

Writing for the sports site Walfoot, Vanhazebrouck stated, “El-Wahidi is the best in Belgium at his position.”

He praised the defender’s high level of play with Genk and credited him for contributing to the team’s current lead in the Belgian championship.

“As a coach, we dream of having players like El-Wahidi,” Vanhazebrouck added. “He is the best right-back in our league, and it’s only a matter of time before he moves to a top club like Benfica.

If he can improve his stats, major European clubs will be after him.”

The calls for El-Wahidi’s inclusion also stem from the view that Tedesco should capitalize on the Moroccan coach’s decision to overlook him, given that the 24-year-old has displayed impressive skills that would strengthen Belgium’s defensive lineup.

Under international football regulations, Tedesco can still invite him to represent Belgium.

When Hesport reached out to a source close to El-Wahidi’s family regarding the player’s potential future with the Belgian team, the source confirmed only that El-Wahidi is currently focused on his role at Genk and has not commented on being left out of Morocco’s squad list.

El-Wahidi was one of the standout players for Morocco’s Olympic squad at the Paris 2024 Summer Games, where he played at left-back and demonstrated exceptional skill.

His versatility and defensive prowess have only increased his appeal in European football, sparking continued interest from top teams across the continent.