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Days after Malaga-born midfielder Brahim Diaz with Moroccan descent announced his switch to the Moroccan national team, attention has shifted to other young players who have made the same decision.
Spanish sports newspaper AS refers to Youssef Enríquez Lekhedim, nicknamed Yusi, as «another Brahim». The young left-back for Real Madrid's youth team has been included in the Atlas Lions squad called up by national team coach Walid Regragui for upcoming friendlies.
The list also includes Brahim Diaz, finally ending speculation about his international allegiance.
Lekhedim, according to AS, is seen as another Brahim Diaz who chose Morocco, his parents' country of origin, over Spain's national team, La Roja.
Yusi, born in Madrid and a former player for La Rojita (Spain's youth national team), opted to represent Morocco at the senior level last year.
Another similar case involves brothers Luis and Aaron Velilles Maghouza, talented young midfielders who, despite being born in Spain and playing for their youth national teams, have switched their allegiance to Morocco. While Luis plays for the youth team of Spanish club Real Betis, his older brother Aaron plays for Calavera FC team.
AS further credits the Moroccan Football Federation's recruitment efforts, which have targeted Spanish-born players with Moroccan heritage in recent years. The newspaper even suggests that this recruitment strategy played a role in Morocco's impressive run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals in Qatar.
For the record, when asked about his decision to play for the Atlas Lions, Brahim Diaz stated that he was «100% convinced».
Diaz and Yusi are expected to wear the Moroccan jersey in their upcoming friendlies against Angola (March 22nd) and Mauritania (March 26th).
