Akhomach Joins Morocco Squad Amid Brahim Diaz Speculation
The Moroccan Football Federation has opened the door for Ilias Akhomach, and in doing so, sparked a storm of speculation around Brahim Diaz.
Akhomach, the Villarreal forward, has been called into the latest Morocco squad. The federation, though, has refused to say who drops out. That silence has only fuelled the noise.
In Spain, the newspaper AS joined the dots on Tuesday night. All indications, it reported, point towards the omission of Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz, who has been battling serious physical problems in recent weeks. The same outlet revealed a day earlier that Diaz had played his last matches through intense pain, pushing his body to the limit.
That detail suddenly makes his absence from this international window easier to read. No official statement has landed yet, but the signs are clear: the Real Madrid man is expected to miss Morocco’s fixtures against Gabon and Lesotho, and then the high-profile friendly against Ghana, to rest and recover.
Akhomach’s Opening
For Akhomach, this is another door opening at the right time.
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi has turned to the Villarreal attacker again, handing him a fresh chance to stake a claim in a squad brimming with attacking talent. Born in Pierola, in the Barcelona area, Akhomach could easily have followed the familiar path into the Spanish system. Instead, he committed to Morocco, the country of his roots, and has been building his international story ever since.
At 22, he already has 13 caps. The missing piece is obvious: he is still chasing his first goal for the national team. This call-up offers another shot at that breakthrough, and perhaps a bigger role if Diaz does indeed sit out the upcoming matches.
Brahim’s Forced Pause
On the other side of the story stands Diaz, a player Jose Mourinho has leaned on heavily since the start of the season. The coach’s selections and public backing have made the winger a key weapon on Real Madrid’s right flank, and Diaz has answered with sharp, influential displays.
Across his four seasons in Madrid, he has never looked closer to locking down a permanent starting place. His current physical problems cut right across that momentum, an untimely interruption just as he seemed to be stepping into a new status at the club.
Yet the decision to keep him out of this international break may prove decisive in a different way. It gives him what he clearly needs: time. Time to let the pain subside, to rebuild, to return without the constant strain of playing through discomfort.
Morocco gain Akhomach’s hunger. Real Madrid protect one of their most in-form attackers. The real question is how Brahim Diaz will look once this enforced pause is over – refreshed and ready to explode, or still fighting the same battle with his body as the season tightens.
