Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi travelled to Amsterdam's Johan Cruyff Arena last Thursday to watch Ajax midfielder Abdellah Ouazane in the second leg of the club's Conference League play-off against FC Sion, turning a long-running question over the teenager's international future into a more immediate one: whether the 17-year-old will be included in Morocco's squad for this month's opening AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
Ouazane provided two assists as Ajax won 5-3 to confirm qualification, operating on the left wing in what was widely regarded as one of his best performances of the young season.
Ouazane's international future had been uncertain for more than a year. Born in Amsterdam to Moroccan parents, he played for Morocco at Under-15 level in 2023, switched to the Netherlands' youth system for a short period and then rejoined the Moroccan setup. He has since been playing for the country's Under-17 side and was recently named the tournament's most valuable player.
Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reported last month that he had given a verbal commitment to Morocco, while his entourage later said the decision was based largely on personal belief. Ouazane appeared to confirm that choice after the match against Sion.
In an interview with Voetbal International, he said: "I have spoken about it with my parents. I am open to everything, but I am happy with my choice. My goal is to play for Morocco." He added that Ouahbi's presence in the stands "says something."
What makes the timing significant is Morocco's squad-selection schedule. Ouahbi and his staff are currently on a European scouting trip ahead of naming the squad for the September 25 qualifier against Gabon in Rabat and the September 29 match against Lesotho in Bloemfontein, according to Moroccan outlets SNRT News and Hespress.
Ouazane is reportedly one of several young players the coaching staff is monitoring during the trip, alongside Schalke's Soufiane Farsi. Ouahbi is also separately expected to check on the fitness of established internationals such as Nayef Aguerd and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli before finalising his squad.
Ouazane's case is somewhat unique given the circumstances. Ismael Saibari, one of Morocco's regular attacking midfield options, is suspended for the Gabon game as a result of a ban incurred in the 2025 AFCON final, leaving Ouahbi with a short-term gap to fill in an area of the pitch where Ouazane can operate.
Whether that leads to a first senior call-up is a separate question from whether Ouazane was considered worthy of personal scouting. Teenage prospects are often monitored for a season or more before making their international debut, and Ouahbi has previously said he wants to maintain the nucleus of the squad that reached this year's World Cup quarter-finals rather than make wholesale changes.
Ouazane's numbers this season provide further context for the interest, regardless of whether September comes too soon. He has four goal contributions in seven appearances for Ajax, including a league goal against Heerenveen in mid-August, and was promoted to the Ajax first-team picture last season after signing a contract running until 2028.
His profile as a central midfielder capable of playing higher up the pitch or out wide has drawn comparisons in Dutch media to Jude Bellingham. A reported move to Real Madrid also collapsed at the final stage roughly a year ago, before Ajax retained him.
Ouazane's case is not an isolated one when it comes to the approach taken by Morocco's federation toward dual nationals over the past year. Former FRMF technical director Chris van Puyvelde, who spent three years at the federation between 2022 and 2025, said Ouazane's recruitment reflected a broader strategy by the Moroccan federation to strengthen ties with players connected to the Moroccan diaspora.
Van Puyvelde noted that the federation maintained regular communication with both the player and his family. The same was the case with Ouazane's Ajax teammate Rayane Bounida, one of six Belgian- and Dutch-developed players to switch allegiance to Morocco over a 13-day period earlier this year.
Could Ouazane's name be on the squad list Ouahbi is expected to announce in the coming days? For now, his inclusion remains uncertain.
What is clear, however, is that his club form has made it a question worth asking in a way it was not a month ago, when his decision to choose Morocco over the Netherlands was framed largely in long-term terms rather than being linked to an immediate international fixture.
