Gone are the days when Belgium snatched players of Moroccan origin born there from Morocco! Four are joining Atlas Lions. They are Selim Amallah, 26, Bilal El Khannouss, 18, Anass Zaroury, 19 and Ilias Chair, 25, all born in Belgium. These four young players have chosen Moroccan sporting nationality. They will have to play this Sunday against their country of birth.
To read: Ilias Chair, the other “Belgian” player of the Atlas Lions
“It’s their country of birth, they were born there. Some may have applied for a position on the other side. They are euphoric, they want. They give this positive energy,” Walid Regragui, coach of Morocco, told a press conference on the eve of the Morocco-Belgium match. And add: “For example, little Bilal El Khannouss (18 years old) whom I wanted to bring to the press conference, in the end I was right not to do so in order not to ask him too many questions. He wants to play tomorrow.
