Morocco reject Real Betis request to release Abde Ezzalzouli from international duty

The Moroccan Football Federation has rejected a request from Real Betis to prevent Abde Ezzalzouli from joining up with the national team during the next international break.

Moroccan outlet Le360 Sport reported that Real Betis had asked for permission to exempt the forward from Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad for Morocco’s matches against Gabon and Lesotho.

The Spanish club wanted Ezzalzouli to remain with Real Betis rather than travel to South Africa, where Morocco will face Lesotho in a qualifying match for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Moroccan federation’s position appears to have been strengthened by Ezzalzouli’s involvement in Real Betis’ match against Villarreal. His appearance indicated that he was in good health and had no injury or physical issue that would prevent him from reporting for international duty.

The federation considers the player’s participation for Real Betis to be clear evidence of his fitness. It therefore believes there is no reason for him to miss Morocco’s forthcoming camp, unless his physical condition changes in the coming days.

Morocco are due to play Gabon and Lesotho on 25 and 29 September respectively, as part of the qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The two fixtures are important to Morocco’s preparations for their upcoming commitments under Ouahbi, who is expected to announce his final squad for the September camp next Thursday.

That squad will contain 23 players, with the announcement set to settle the uncertainty over who will feature in the two matches. Some players who represented Morocco at the most recent World Cup finals could be absent from the selection.

For now, Ezzalzouli appears likely to be included in Ouahbi’s squad. The Moroccan federation has refused Real Betis’ request for his release from international duty, while his recent appearance for the Spanish club further supports the coaching staff’s position that he should be called up.