Ugo El Kadmiri’s Morocco U20 call-up delayed amid international uncertainty

Ugo El Kadmiri will not join Morocco’s Under-20 squad for the UNAF tournament in Egypt, despite being named in Ludovic Batelli’s original selection.

The withdrawal has raised questions about the future of the 19-year-old Olympique de Marseille forward, who has represented Sweden at youth level but appeared to have recently indicated a preference for Morocco.

No explanation has been given for his absence. It is not known whether El Kadmiri is dealing with a minor injury, has encountered a late setback or has chosen to delay a decision over his international future.

The youth football scout Wayz reported that El Kadmiri was included in Batelli’s squad for the UNAF U20 tournament, which features players born in 2007 and 2008. The same observer later confirmed that the Marseille striker would not attend the training camp, without providing further details.

His withdrawal is notable because El Kadmiri had appeared to be moving closer to Morocco in recent months. Having previously played for Sweden Under-18s, he was reportedly understood to favour the Lionceaux de l’Atlas at Under-20 level. His first opportunity to join the Moroccan set-up has therefore been postponed.

The situation is attracting particular attention because El Kadmiri is beginning to establish himself in Marseille’s senior squad.

Born in Marseille to a Moroccan father and Swedish mother, Ugo Lamare El Kadmiri spent a short period at the PSG academy in Rabat before joining Olympique de Marseille’s academy at the age of 12.

At 1.94m, the left-footed forward offers a distinctive physical profile. Swedish publication VM-Fotboll described him as a tall, prolific striker with a “dangerous left foot”.

His goalscoring record has been the main reason for the growing interest. Last season, he scored 14 goals in 15 appearances for Marseille Under-19s and also made his first appearances in Ligue 1. Since turning 15, he has scored 26 goals in 47 national-level matches for Marseille’s various youth teams.

This season could further speed up his progress. Financial constraints at Marseille have altered the club’s approach to youth players, an area for which it has regularly faced criticism. El Kadmiri has already made three Ligue 1 appearances and is also included on Marseille’s B list for the Europa League.

His increasing exposure could naturally renew Sweden’s interest, given that he has already represented the country internationally at youth level.

However, there is currently no evidence that his decision not to join Morocco represents a change of allegiance. A one-off withdrawal remains equally possible, and at 19 he still has several options regarding his international career.

Morocco had been hoping to bring El Kadmiri into its plans for the first time. It will now have to wait to discover whether this missed opportunity is merely a temporary setback or the beginning of renewed competition with Sweden for the dual-national forward.