Sofyan Amrabat suspends Morocco duty under Mohamed Ouahbi

Moroccan international Sofyan Amrabat announced on Tuesday that he is suspending his participation with the national team «as long as Mohamed Ouahbi remains coach» of the Atlas Lions, stressing that his decision does not mean he is retiring from international football or closing the door on a future return.

In a message posted on his Instagram account, Amrabat said that representing Morocco had been «the greatest honor of my career», adding that he had given everything for his country and had worn the national team shirt with immense pride.

He said the decision had been «extremely difficult», before adding: «I do not feel able to continue representing the national team under the current coach, and therefore I will not make myself available for selection as long as he remains in his position».

The stance confirms tensions in the relationship between Amrabat and Mohamed Ouahbi, signs of which emerged after Morocco’s participation in the 2026 World Cup. Ouahbi started Amrabat in only one match, against Haiti, preferring to field Neil El Aynaoui and Ayyoub Bouaddi in midfield. The player logged a total of 145 minutes during the tournament, coming on as a substitute against Canada and France while missing other matches.

Following Morocco’s elimination by France in the quarter-finals, Mohamed Amrabat, Sofyan’s brother, told Dutch radio station FunX FM that the player was deeply disappointed by his limited playing time, saying: «I think he feels very, very disappointed, and I believe he is completely fed up with this coach, Mohamed Ouahbi».

Ouahbi responded at the time by denying any rift with Amrabat, insisting that the player had not caused any problems inside the camp and had dealt professionally with the technical staff’s decisions.