Moroccan FA Blocks Real Betis Request for Abde Ezzalzouli

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has drawn a clear line with Real Betis over Abde Ezzalzouli. The answer is no – and it is not up for debate.

According to Moroccan outlet "Le360 Sport", the federation has rejected a formal request from the Spanish club to excuse the winger from Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad for the upcoming international break, which includes matches against Gabon and Lesotho.

Betis had pushed for a waiver that would allow Ezzalzouli to skip Morocco’s camp, sparing him the journey to South Africa, where the Atlas Lions will be based as they prepare to face Lesotho in qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The club wanted him to remain in Spain, focused on domestic duties and avoiding extra travel.

The timing worked against them.

Ezzalzouli featured in Betis’s clash with Villarreal, and that appearance only strengthened Morocco’s position. From the federation’s perspective, if the player is fit enough to play for his club, he is fit enough to report for his country.

Officials within the federation have made their stance clear: there is no injury, no fitness concern, no medical reason that justifies his absence from the national team. Unless a new and documented issue emerges in the coming days, they see no argument for leaving him out of Ouahbi’s plans.

The stakes are high.

Morocco face Gabon on 25 September and Lesotho on 29 September, both fixtures part of the qualification path for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals. These are not friendly tune-ups; they are competitive, shaping the road to a tournament the Atlas Lions fully expect to reach and to contend in.

Inside that context, every selection matters. Ouahbi is fine‑tuning his group, continuing the build-up for the next cycle. He is set to announce his final squad for the September camp next Thursday, with a 23-man list that will answer several questions hanging over this team.

One of those questions concerns the future of some players who were part of Morocco’s last World Cup adventure. A few of those names could miss out this time, as the coach refreshes his options and leans towards form, fitness, and tactical fit.

Ezzalzouli, though, currently sits on the right side of that line.

His recent minutes with Betis offer tangible proof of his readiness, and the federation’s refusal to grant the Spanish club’s request underlines how strongly the national setup value him. Unless something changes dramatically before Ouahbi’s announcement, the winger looks well placed to be on that list – and on the plane for a qualifying campaign Morocco intend to control, not chase.