Brahim Diaz: Morocco's new star
Real Madrid striker Brahim Diaz has arrived in Morocco to join the Atlas Lions for the upcoming matches of the Moroccan national team coached by Walid Regragui.
After several comings and goings, the talented Spanish-Moroccan footballer landed in Morocco to join the Moroccan national team after months of indecision on the part of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which did not finally call Brahim up despite the striker's good performances at the highest level with Real Madrid and his previous club, Milan.
The Spanish national coach, Luis de la Fuente, always had the Malaga striker of Moroccan descent on his shortlist, but did not call him up to the senior national team, despite the fact that other players of lesser renown in the striker's position were selected, such as Fermín, a Barcelona player, or Bryan Zaragoza, who recently left Granada to join Bayern Munich.
It is worth remembering that the player from Malaga, who had already played with Spain's youth teams, already made his debut as a senior Spanish international in 2021 in Leganés, Madrid, against Lithuania, and even scored a goal in the 4-0 win. A special match played by the U21 national team players after Sergio Busquets tested positive for COVID in the middle of the pandemic and the isolation of the rest of the players in the midst of preparing for the European Championship.
تصريح ابراهيم دياز عقب وصوله إلى المغرب
— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) March 18, 2024
Brahim Diaz's statement after arriving in Morocco#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/IdEFcRtwNo
Great expectation for Brahim's arrival
Upon his arrival at Rabat-Salé international airport to join the Atlas Lions' training camp, Brahim Díaz expressed his gratitude to King Mohammed VI, showing his gratitude and pride at wearing the Moroccan shirt.
The role of the Alaouite monarch in supporting sport and football in particular in the nation since he ascended to the throne in 1999 should be highlighted.
Under the reign of Mohammed VI, investment in the promotion of sport and infrastructure has multiplied, which has made possible the sporting and academic development of many young Moroccan talents. A clear example is the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Rabat-Salé, which offers remarkable facilities and resources that have enabled the emergence of great talents such as Youssef En-Nesyri and Azzedine Ounahi, both now teammates of Brahim Díaz.
"I thank King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan people for their affection. I am very grateful to be here and proud to wear the shirt of the Atlas Lions," said the young Real Madrid striker. Brahim said he will strive to make the Moroccan country "proud" of him and that he is "delighted to return to his roots".
According to sports daily AS, Brahim will even wear the number 10 for the Moroccan national team, a number usually reserved for the big stars or top players of each team.
Debut in friendly matches
The Spanish-Moroccan player is due to play his first minutes in the green and red jersey during the friendly matches Morocco-Angola on 22 March and Morocco-Mauritania on 26 March at the Grand Stade d'Agadir, one of the most important football grounds in Morocco with a capacity of 45,500 spectators.
Morocco arranged these matches in preparation for upcoming official matches. After these two friendlies, the Moroccan national football team will play official World Cup qualifiers against Zambia, Congo, Niger and Tanzania in the coming months.
All this after the disappointment suffered in last month's Africa Cup of Nations, a competition in which the Atlas Lions lost in the round of 16 against South Africa and which was finally won by Côte d'Ivoire after beating Nigeria in the final.
