Amrabat refuses Morocco call-up until coach Ouahbi leaves in pointed statement

Sofyan Amrabat has made himself unavailable for Morocco selection for as long as Mohamed Ouahbi remains head coach, the 30-year-old Ajax midfielder announced in a statement posted to Instagram ahead of the team’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho.

Amrabat, who earned 78 caps for Morocco and spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Manchester United from Fiorentina, stopped short of announcing international retirement, stressing that the door to representing his country again remains open.

“Representing Morocco has been the greatest honour of my career,” Amrabat wrote. “Since my first call-up 12 years ago, I have given everything for my country and worn the national team shirt with pride. My love for Morocco and everything this team means to me will never change.”

He continued: “This has been a very difficult decision, but I do not feel able to continue representing the national team under the current head coach. I am therefore making myself unavailable for selection while he remains in charge. Out of respect for the national team and everyone involved, I prefer to keep the reasons behind this decision private.”

Ouahbi was appointed Morocco head coach in March, replacing Walid Regragui, who resigned less than 100 days before the 2026 World Cup. Regragui, who guided Morocco to a historic fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Cup — the first African nation to reach a semi-final — cited the need for “a fresh face, a different energy, and a new perspective” as his reasons for stepping down.

Ouahbi, who previously coached Morocco’s age-group sides, oversaw the senior team at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing to France. Amrabat’s involvement in that tournament was limited: he started only the group-stage match against Haiti, came off the bench against Canada and France, and was unused in the games against Brazil, Scotland and the Netherlands.

Despite his reduced role at the World Cup, Amrabat made clear his commitment to Morocco has not wavered. “I want to be clear: I am not retiring from international football, and I am not closing the door on representing Morocco again,” he wrote. “To my teammates, my brothers, and all the staff, I wish you every success. I will remain the team’s biggest fan.”