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Marrakech – Shortly after his request to switch international allegiance from the Netherlands to Morocco was approved by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Anass Salah-Eddine looks set to play an important role for Walid Regragui’s side.
The AS Roma loanee, currently playing for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, has been called up by the Morocco head coach: his first senior national team call-up.
So who is Anass Salah-Eddine? And how does he fit the Atlas Lions project?
Club and International career
Born in Amsterdam to a Moroccan family on January 18, 2002, Salah-Eddine first played within the AFC Amsterdam and AZ Alkmaar youth ranks before being recruited to the Ajax Amsterdam academy in 2018.
Salah-Eddine made his professional debut for Ajax on May 15, 2022, under Erik Ten Hag. In search of playing time, he was loaned to FC Twente for the entirety of the 2022-2023 season, a successful spell that earned him a first-team spot at Ajax for the start of the 2023-2024 season, before a permanent transfer to FC Twente during that campaign’s winter transfer window.
The left-back joined AS Roma on February 3rd 2025 for a reported €8.5 million fee. Due to a lack of playing time with the Giallorossi, he’s loaned back to the Eredivisie, this time at PSV, with an €8 million purchase option.
Salah-Eddine regularly featured for the Netherlands youth national teams, making appearances for the U15, U16, U17, U18, and U21 sections. He notably won the U17 Euros with the Oranjes under Peter Van der Veen, playing alongside promising prospects the likes of Brian Brobbey and Ian Maatsen.
Nevertheless, Salah-Eddine kept his options for the senior national team open. In a 2023 interview with Dutch media Tubantia, he stated that the decision between representing Morocco and the Netherlands would depend on multiple factors.
“You always have to consider all the factors and weigh them against each other,” he said. “For example, if it turns out your position isn’t filled as readily in a country, you might end up making a different choice than you initially thought.”
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A needed boost at the left-back position
After Achraf Hakimi’s injury in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, it is expected that Morocco’s first-choice left-back, Noussair Mazraoui, will be shifted across the pitch to play on the right instead – his preferred position. This leaves the left fullback position up for grabs.
During the upcoming friendlies against Mozambique and Uganda, Salah-Eddine and Raja Casablanca’s Youssef Belammari will be the two main contenders to claim the starting spot. While Belammari has been in the national team’s dynamics for more than a year with consistent good performances across his eight appearances, Salah-Eddine’s versatility and offensive prowess will bring welcomed competition at that position.
Speaking to the microphones of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Salah-Eddine recounted the events of his first call-up.
“I was training with Ismael (PSV Teammate Ismael Saibari). We were on the training field, and then we come back […] I saw I was on the list. My family called me. My agent called me. Everybody called me. I was really happy.”
The 23-year-old defender expressed his excitement about joining the national team: “It feels immediately like home. It’s a very nice group, and they gave me a very warm welcome. I’m ready to achieve some beautiful things inshallah.”
Salah-Eddine’s first debut opportunity will be this Friday, when the Atlas Lions take on Mozambique at 8 p.m. GMT+1, at the Ibn Battuta Stadium in Tangier.
