YOUTH
Xavi must call Ayoub Oufkir quickly before he chooses Morocco
In a column, Valentijn Driessen urges that national team coach Xavi does not wait too long to select the 20‑year‑old AZ striker Ayoub Oufkir for the Dutch national team. Driessen points out that Oufkir, who holds both Dutch and Moroccan nationality, already made his debut for Jong the Oranje in March.
Jong the Oranje performances and national choice
Since his debut, Oufkir has played four internationals under national coach Michael Reiziger. On Tuesday he stood out in a match in which Jong the Oranje qualified for the Euro play‑offs. The right‑winger, trained at Sparta, offers a prospect for the senior squad, where the position is thin with only Crysencio Summerville.
Driessen emphasizes that Oufkir said in April that he feels good in the Oranje shirt, but does not want to close the door on Morocco. “I have no choice in mind. Everything is still open,” he quotes the young player.
De Jong must force Xavi to choose Oufkir, or else a country switch
Risk of a national switch
According to Driessen, Xavi must select Oufkir to prevent a possible national switch, a point he links to an earlier statement by KNVB director Nigel de Jong about dual passports and an age limit of eighteen years. He warns that a move to Morocco, as with Ajax talent Abdellah Ouazane, could shrink the Dutch talent pool.
Driessen concludes that it is in the long‑term interest of the Dutch national team to give Oufkir a chance now, before he definitively chooses Morocco.