Benfica signing omitted, coach warns: You saw the pass, I saw it all | OneFootball

Souffian El Karouani’s absence from Morocco’s squad caused some surprise, especially after the Benfica full-back’s great display against Milan. Mohamed Ouahbi announced a 29-man squad this Thursday for the national team’s upcoming fixtures, but left the Eagles player out.

El Karouani started in Benfica’s 2-0 win at San Siro and was directly involved in the second goal, setting up Jakub Kaminski for the precise finish that sealed the Reds’ victory. Even so, the performance was not enough to secure a call-up in this international window.

Asked by journalists, Mohamed Ouahbi explained that the decision was linked to the strong competition in the position: “You saw yesterday’s decisive pass against Milan, but I watched the whole game,” said the coach, revealing that he has been following the Benfica player closely.

Ouahbi admitted, however, that El Karouani came very close to making the squad, but he ultimately opted for Salah-Eddine: “I’ve been following him closely and he was close to being called up for this window, but for now, I chose Salah-Eddine. The door is open. He should keep working and his time will come,” he assured.

Competition at left-back for Morocco is particularly demanding, with Salah-Eddine and Noussair Mazraoui among the coach’s options. El Karouanihad already been called up to the national team before the 2026 World Cup, but was ultimately left out of the final squad. Now, the full-back will have to keep proving himself at Benfica, where he has gained space and prominence at the start of the season, in order to work his way back into the Moroccan national team’s plans.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.