Tunis—Former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart has shared his thoughts – and criticism – on several players choosing to play for Morocco instead of the Dutch national team.
Most recently, FIFA officially approved Rayane Bounida’s international switch on March 25, clearing the AFC Ajax talent to join Morocco’s senior squad.
Speaking on Dutch television NOS, Van der Vaart suggested that sporting opportunity often plays a major role in these decisions. “I don’t want to be harsh, but all Moroccans who don’t perform well here will play for the Morocco national team.”
His comments quickly drew attention, especially given Morocco’s recent success in attracting several European-born talents with Moroccan roots.
‘Only Ziyech was one I really wanted’
Van der Vaart went on to single out Hakim Ziyech as the one player he truly regretted not seeing in orange. “Only Ziyech was someone I wished had been with us back then.”
The former Netherlands midfielder’s remarks come at a time when the discussion around dual-national players remains highly sensitive in both the Netherlands and Morocco.
Players such as Bounida, who progressed through youth systems in Belgium and the Netherlands’ wider football environment, are increasingly choosing Morocco at senior level.
Morocco is no longer a second option
But Bounida is far from an isolated case. In recent years, Morocco has also secured many great young talents who had strong ties to other European national setups.
Eliesse Ben Seghir chose Morocco early despite being closely watched in France, and Ilias Akhomach, a former Spain U19 captain and La Masia graduate, opted for the Atlas Lions over Spain.
The same trend can be seen with Adam Aznou, educated at Barcelona and FC Bayern Munich, as well as Amir Richardson, who had multiple international options before committing to Morocco.
Another strong example is Bilal El Khannouss, who chose Morocco at a young age and went on to become the youngest member of the squad at the Qatar World Cup.
These cases are proof that the Moroccan national team is no longer a second option. Rather, the Moroccan team is now widely perceived as a first-choice sporting project for many of Europe’s most promising dual-national talents.
‘No need to worry about Morocco’
Van der Vaart also appeared to downplay concerns over Morocco as a direct rival on the world stage. “If you reach the World Cup semi-finals and want to win the tournament, as we do in the Netherlands, then there’s no need to worry about Morocco.”
The statement is likely to fuel further debate, particularly given Morocco’s rise as one of the strongest national teams.
Ironically, Van der Vaart himself had recently praised Bounida’s talent on Dutch television, calling him one of the most brilliant two-footed young players he has seen since Wesley Sneijder.