DR ‹ › Morocco national team head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has called up Rayane Bounida, who plays for Ajax Amsterdam, to join the national squad's training camp ahead of upcoming friendlies against Ecuador on Friday, March 27 in Madrid, and Paraguay on Tuesday, March 31 in Lens, France. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation said Bounida's call-up comes after FIFA approved his switch of sporting nationality, as the 20-year-old had previously represented Belgium at youth level. Born in Vilvoorde, Belgium, Bounida was trained at Anderlecht's academy before joining Ajax in 2022, one of Europe's leading clubs for developing young talent. Since moving to the Dutch side, he has made steady progress, emerging this season as one of the team's standout prospects. He has featured in 15 official matches, 10 in the Eredivisie, three in the UEFA Champions League, and two in the Dutch Cup, delivering impressive performances. The federation continues to attract a growing number of young Moroccan talents based in Europe, benefiting from a structured sporting project and the positive momentum of the national teams in recent years, which have achieved success at multiple levels. An increasing number of players of Moroccan descent trained in European academies are choosing to represent the Atlas Lions, reflecting the rising appeal of Moroccan football on the international stage. In a related development, the federation announced that the national team arrived in Madrid on Wednesday evening ahead of Friday's friendly against Ecuador. Earlier in the day, the squad held its final training session at the Mohammed VI Football Complex before departing. The session, which lasted around 90 minutes, was marked by focus and intensity, with all players showing strong commitment. The technical staff, led by Ouahbi, fine-tuned the team's tactical setup while working to strengthen overall cohesion.
