Rabat — Osame Sahraoui has officially switched his sporting nationality to represent Morocco.
FIFA informed the Royal Moroccan Football Federation of his decision, clearing the LOSC Lille player to play for the Moroccan national team after previously representing Norway.
Sahraoui was first called up to the Norwegian national team in August 2023, making his debut and contributing with an assist in a friendly match against Jordan on September 7.
After describing it as a “difficult decision,” Sahraoui declined further call-ups in November 2023 and March 2024 due to injuries.
In August 2024, he declined another invitation, expressing his wish to represent Morocco instead.
The Moroccan-Norwegian footballer has previously announced his decision to switch his national allegiance to Morocco, according to the Norwegian football national team on Friday.
“Osame Sahraoui has chosen to represent Morocco moving forward. We thank him for his contributions and wish him the best,” the Norway team posted on X.
The 23-year-old striker, currently playing for Ligue 1 club Lille, was previously featured in one international match for the Norway national team.
The Morocco national football team has been receiving significant boosts as international players opt to represent Morocco over the countries in which they were born and raised.
Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz is one such player, who chose to represent the Atlas Lions instead of Spain. At 24, Diaz was anticipated to pledge his allegiance to Spain, the country of his birth, where he has played at various youth levels from Under-17 to Under-21. However, he opted for the Atlas Lions and has since become a team fixture.
Earlier this year, Moroccan international footballer Eliesse Ben Seghir discussed his decision to represent the Moroccan national team instead of France.
The roster of the Moroccan national team boasts a wealth of diaspora players whom have chosen to represent Morocco rather than other countries.
