May 16 (Reuters) - Morocco have won the international tug-of-war for highly rated Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who was born in France to Moroccan parents, after FIFA approved his switch of allegiance, handing the Atlas Lions a significant boost just weeks before the World Cup in North America.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation said on Friday it had received a decision from FIFA’s Players’ Status Chamber approving its request to change the sporting nationality of Bouaddi, making him immediately eligible to represent Morocco in all international competitions.
Bouaddi, 18, had represented France at youth level, most recently captaining the under-21 side in a European Championship qualifier against Luxembourg, but opted to commit his senior international future to Morocco.
The midfielder is regarded as one of Ligue 1’s brightest young talents, having established himself as a regular in Lille’s lineup in recent seasons. He has made more than 90 appearances for the club across all competitions over three campaigns.
He was the youngest player to feature in a European club competition match, aged 16 years and three days.
Morocco have built a strong track record of recruiting dual-nationality players to strengthen their squad. They recently convinced Fulham defender Issa Diop, who was born in France to a Moroccan mother, to commit to the North African nation, as did Ajax Amsterdam’s Rayane Bounida, a former Belgium under-19 captain.
The World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. Morocco, the first African and Arab country to reach a World Cup semi-final, are drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Haiti and Scotland.
(Reporting Ashraf Hamed Atta, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
