Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has revealed how a certain Real Madrid star chose to represent the Atlas Lions over Spain.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists are set to take on Angola and Mauritania during this month, with Brahim Diaz tipped to partake in the action after being selected for the squad.
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Speaking at a press conference ahead of their game against the Black Gazelles, the Moroccan coach said that he first met the 24-year-old before his big move to the Santiago Bernabeu, and that getting him into the national team's setup has long been in the works.
"Since we took over the Moroccan national team, we have been working on the Brahim Diaz case," he said per Yalla Kora.
"The matter was not related to Diaz's unwillingness to choose the Moroccan national team, but rather it was related to the timing of the selection.
"I met him for the first time when he was in Milan, then came his important move to Real Madrid, and after that came the African Cup of Nations."
He went on to add that Diaz made up his mind following the Atlas Lions' disappointing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, in which they were knocked out at the round of 16 by South Africa.
"Diaz gave his promise to us and did not lie. We knew that he was a great player and he confirms that every day. Moroccans should be proud that he is a player in the national team and plays for Real Madrid," he added.
"Brahim Diaz did not choose to represent the Moroccan national team after the achievement we achieved in the World Cup. Rather, he did so after we participated in the African Cup of Nations, in which we did not perform at the required level.
"The Spanish national team invited the player, but he refused."
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