Barcelona striker Abdessamad Zalzouli has turned down the Moroccan national football team's invitation to participate in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon next year, as reported by Moroccan media today, Thursday. The online newspaper "Le360" stated that the young winger "refuses to wear the national team's jersey," indicating that he "now prefers to represent the Spanish national team after obtaining Spanish citizenship on Wednesday."
The online newspaper "Al-Montakhab" reported that the Moroccan Football Federation received a message from Zalzouli (20 years old), announcing his "decision not to join the national team's camp in preparation for the AFCON (...) and that he has decided to play for the Spanish national team from now on after recently obtaining a Spanish passport."
A source from the Moroccan Federation told AFP that "the situation is still not completely clear," and the federation has not yet issued any official statement regarding this matter. Bosnian-French coach of the "Atlas Lions," Vahid Halilhodzic, had called Zalzouli for the first time in a list of 28 players for the upcoming continental championship, which will take place between January 9 and February 6. Zalzouli had previously played for the Moroccan U-20 team, as noted by "Le360."
Zalzouli has recently shone with the Blaugrana and received the confidence of his new coach, Xavi Hernandez. Meanwhile, the Moroccan national team relies on the services of Sevilla striker Munir El Haddadi, who also chose the Spanish national team, playing one match for them before representing the "Atlas Lions" this year, benefiting from amendments made by FIFA regarding nationality changes for players. The Moroccan team has been holding a closed preparatory gathering since Monday in anticipation of the AFCON.
