Casablanca – AZ Alkmaar coach Leeroy Echteld has expressed disappointment over Ayoub Oufkir’s decision to represent Morocco instead of the Netherlands, admitting that he had encouraged the young winger to continue his international career with the Dutch national team.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of AZ’s Europa League encounter with Juventus, Echteld confirmed that he had personally discussed the decision with Oufkir, who received his first senior Morocco call-up on Wednesday.
“I spoke to Ayoub about this. Initially, you try to steer a player towards the Netherlands, but ultimately, it’s his decision, and I told him to trust his instincts,” Echteld said, according to Dutch newspaper Voetbal International.
The AZ coach, who previously served as an assistant with the Netherlands Under-21 team, acknowledged that losing promising players to other national teams was disappointing.
“It’s a shame because we’re talking about good players whom you’d rather keep in the Dutch national teams,” he explained.
Echteld also suggested that the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) could improve its approach to players eligible to represent more than one country.
“Perhaps in the future, you could speak to them earlier and explain the plans you have for them, rather than waiting until the last moment when they’re being pulled in different directions,” he said.
However, he maintained that the final decision belonged to the player and should reflect his personal feelings.
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Oufkir’s choice is particularly significant given his recent involvement with the Netherlands’ youth teams.
The Rotterdam-born winger helped the Dutch Under-19 side win the 2025 European Championship, defeating Spain 1-0 in the final.
He later progressed to the Under-21 team, where he recorded four appearances and two goals, according to the Dutch football federation’s official records.
As recently as October, Oufkir started three consecutive matches for the Netherlands Under-21s, scoring in a 4-2 victory over Slovenia during European Championship qualifying.
His development also earned him a move from Sparta Rotterdam to AZ Alkmaar in January 2026, where he signed a contract running until June 2030.
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi included the 20-year-old in his 26-man squad for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Niger.
During Wednesday’s squad announcement, Ouahbi identified Oufkir’s pace, technical ability, dribbling, and crossing as qualities that could strengthen Morocco’s attacking options.
The Atlas Lions will face Niger on November 13 in Casablanca before meeting the same opponents again on November 17 in Rabat.
The fixtures could offer Oufkir his first senior international appearance for Morocco, bringing an end to a youth international career spent representing the Netherlands.
