Benfica’s El Karouani omitted as Morocco coach cites competition and full-game view | OneFootball

Souffian El Karouani has been left out of Morocco’s latest squad despite a standout display for Benfica, with head coach Mohamed Ouahbi explaining the decision.

According to Glorioso 1904, Ouahbi named a 29-man group for the upcoming FIFA dates on Thursday and omitted the Benfica left-back.

El Karouani started in Benfica’s 2-0 win at San Siro against Milan, setting up Jakub Kaminski for the second goal that sealed the result. Even so, the performance did not secure a call-up.

Ouahbi said intense competition on the left informed his choice. He noted that while many focused on the assist against Milan, his assessment covered the full match and he is following the player closely.

He added that El Karouani was close to selection for this window but, for now, he has opted for Salah-Eddine. The door remains open and, if the defender keeps working, an opportunity should follow.

Left-back is a crowded area for Morocco, with Salah-Eddine and Noussair Mazraoui among the options. El Karouani received a pre-2026 World Cup call but did not make the final list.

For the time being, he must continue to assert himself at Benfica, where he has gained prominence early this season, to push back into Ouahbi’s plans.

Source: Glorioso 1904

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”