Moroccan-French center back Medhi Benatia was not included in the list of footballers picked by Coach Hervé Renard to face Malawi on September the 8th. But the idea of not having Benatia around, who was the team's captain, remains questionable. On Thursday, a source close to Benatia told Hesport that he «is angry after found out that he was not part of the squad» that will play against Malawi. «Benatia was surprised to see that he was not featured, especially since he was getting ready for the game», said the same source who stressed that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) did not explain the reasons behindthis decision. «Based on the current situation, Benatia will make his decision soon, especially as he was planning to play for Morocco during next year's CAF», added the same source. On the other hand, Arabic-language newspaper Al Ahdath Al Maghribia wrote on Thursday that «Medhi Benatia's comments to media at the Russia World Cup were behind this choice. The newspaper reports that Hervé Renard has not turned the page yet and «he is angry at the footballer's attitude». For the record, a few minutes after the Atlas Lions played against Portugal in the World Cup, Medhi Benatia spoke to beIN Sports, criticizing the entourage of the national team.
