Ilias Akhomach Joins Morocco Squad Amid Brahim Diaz Fitness Concerns

The Moroccan Football Federation has lit a fuse without saying a word. Ilias Akhomach is in. Someone else is out. No one will confirm who.

In Spain, they think they know. Newspaper AS reported on Tuesday night that all signs point to Brahim Diaz being the player sacrificed, after the Real Madrid attacker has been wrestling with serious physical problems in recent weeks.

AS had already revealed on Monday that Diaz had been playing his last matches through intense pain. That detail suddenly gives shape to his absence from Morocco’s squad during this international window. It is not a tactical snub. It looks like self-preservation.

There is still no official announcement from the federation. No medical statement. No formal withdrawal. Yet all indications point the same way: Diaz is expected to miss Morocco’s games against Gabon and Lesotho, and then the high-profile friendly against Ghana, to rest and recover.

Akhomach steps into the frame

For Akhomach, the door has opened again.

Coach Mohamed Ouahbi has turned to the Villarreal forward, handing the 22-year-old another chance to push his way into Morocco’s long-term plans. Born in Pierola, near Barcelona, Akhomach chose to wear the colours of his roots rather than the country of his birth, committing to Morocco at international level.

He has already collected 13 caps. The next step still eludes him: a first goal for his country. This call-up offers another platform, another audition, and this time with the spotlight brighter than ever as questions swirl around Diaz.

Diaz forced to pause

At club level, Diaz has become central to Jose Mourinho’s plans. The Real Madrid coach has been clear, in both his words and his line-ups, about how much he leans on the Moroccan international. Diaz has grown into a key weapon on the right flank, answering that faith with sharp, influential performances.

Across four seasons at Real Madrid, he has never been closer to locking down an undisputed starting role. His form, his confidence, his rhythm – everything pointed upwards.

Then came the physical toll.

Those “severe pains” reported in Spain now look like the only thing capable of slowing him. A break from international duty, while frustrating in the short term, could yet turn into a blessing. The decision to leave him out of this camp gives his body a pause it clearly needs.

Morocco lose a star for this window. Real Madrid lose him for no games at all. If the rest works, both could gain a fully recharged Diaz when the real battles of the season begin.