Rayane Bounida Shifts Allegiance to Morocco
In a significant turn of events, 20-year-old midfielder Rayane Bounida has officially decided to represent Morocco on the international stage, effectively closing the door on his previous association with the Belgian national teams. Bounida, who has previously played for Belgium's U21 team, has received his first call-up to the Moroccan national team under the new head coach Mohamed Ouahbi. This announcement comes ahead of two friendly matches, with the first scheduled against Ecuador on Friday at 21:15 in Madrid, followed by a match against Paraguay on March 31 at 20:00 in Lens.
Born in Vilvorde, Belgium, Bounida's decision to switch allegiance is noteworthy, particularly as he had been selected to join Belgium's U21 squad led by Gill Swerts, who is preparing for an important Euro U21 qualifying match against Austria this Friday at 20:00 in Louvain, along with a friendly against the Netherlands on March 30. Bounida's performance this season with Ajax Amsterdam has been impressive, where he has scored two goals and provided eight assists in 24 matches since joining the club from Anderlecht in July 2022, after beginning his career at OHL.
By joining the Lions of the Atlas, Morocco's national team, Bounida will be in the company of fellow players including defenders Zakaria El Ouahdi from Genk and Redouane Halhal from Malines, the latter of whom is also receiving his first call to the national team. This move highlights Bounida's ambition and the growing reputation of the Moroccan team, particularly after their recent triumph as the champions of Africa.
As reported by lesoir.be.
