AZ Alkmaar winger Ayoub Oufkir, 20, has been called up by head coach Mohamed Ouahbi with Morocco. The KNVB, which had tried everything to keep him, acknowledges its disappointment through Nigel de Jong, the federation’s director of top-level football.
Ayoub Oufkir’s name appeared on Wednesday in Morocco’s squad list to face Niger, reports Yabiladi. The AZ Alkmaar winger has been called up by head coach Mohamed Ouahbi alongside Abdellah Ouazane and Oussama Targhalline, according to Tanja7.
Oufkir was no unknown in the Netherlands. A regular starter with the Dutch Under-21s under their coach Michael Reiziger in recent international windows, he was among the players the KNVB had identified very early. The AZ player’s decision was therefore met with bitterness in The Hague, as reflected in the reactions gathered by the Dutch press.
Two goals in ten Eredivisie matches
On the pitch, Hespress reports that Oufkir has scored two goals in ten Eredivisie matches this season with AZ Alkmaar.
His AZ coach, Leeroy Echteld, acknowledged that, despite his personal preference, the player had opted for Morocco, according to Hespress.
The KNVB had tried everything
At the Dutch federation, the disappointment is clear. “We are disappointed that Ayoub ultimately chose Morocco. We recognised his talent and potential very early and did everything to keep him,” said Nigel de Jong, the KNVB’s director of top-level football, in comments cited by Algemeen Dagblad via Yabiladi.
The same official qualified his remark to Tanja7: “It remains a question of feeling and a personal choice. We would have liked it to be different, but we must respect that.” Algemeen Dagblad, relayed by Yabiladi, recalls that the KNVB had identified Oufkir very early and done everything to keep him. Signs of mutual confidence had still been exchanged a week before the decision, according to Lesiteinfo.
Oufkir’s choice also silences the pundits who, like Rafael Van der Vaart, claimed Morocco was only a “plan B” for dual nationals, according to Hespress. A claim this decision now contradicts.
Niger in sight
Oufkir’s call-up comes in a busy schedule for Mohamed Ouahbi. According to the dates reported by Footballclubdemarseille.fr, to be confirmed with an official source, Morocco face Niger on 13 November 2026 at 21:00 at the Stade Mohammed-V in Casablanca, before the return leg, Niger v Morocco, on 17 November 2026 in Rabat. For the AZ winger, these fixtures offer a first chance to join the Atlas Lions squad.