Overview
- Sofyan Amrabat said in an Instagram post on Tuesday that he will make himself unavailable for Morocco selection for as long as Mohamed Ouahbi is head coach, stressing he is not retiring and keeping his reasons private.
- Amrabat completed a transfer to Ajax in late August and remains eligible to return to the national team if the situation with the coach changes.
- Morocco now head into the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers without one of their senior midfielders, with home matches against Gabon on September 25 and a neutral-site game versus Lesotho in Bloemfontein on September 29.
- Also on Tuesday veteran Adel Taarabt announced his retirement from professional football, ending a career that included spells at QPR, Tottenham, AC Milan and a final period in the UAE and 30 caps for Morocco.
- Amrabat’s decision follows Ouahbi’s March 2026 takeover from Walid Regragui and comes as younger midfielders have emerged, which could change selection dynamics and create short-term leadership gaps in the squad.