Moroccan midfielder Abdellah Ouazane, the latest sensation at Ajax Amsterdam, is already ahead of his time and raising high expectations in Morocco at just 17, French sports daily L’Équipe wrote on Wednesday.
The newspaper published a profile titled “Abdellah Ouazane, Morocco’s New Rising Star,” looking back at his debut for the national team, his club career and the hopes surrounding him ahead of upcoming international competitions.
Born in Amsterdam in January 2009, Ouazane chose to represent his parents’ country after playing for the youth teams of both the Netherlands and Morocco, the newspaper reported. He made a name for himself at the 2025 Africa Under-17 Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco, where he was named Player of the Tournament and helped the Atlas Cubs win the continental title after beating Mali on penalties in the final, following a 0-0 draw, with Morocco winning the shootout 4-2.
Handed his senior debut by coach Mohamed Ouahbi, Ouazane first played for the Atlas Lions on September 25 in Rabat, coming on in Morocco’s 2-0 win over Gabon. According to L’Équipe, he became the second-youngest player to represent Morocco in an official match, behind former AC Milan prospect Hachim Mastour, who made his debut at 16 against Libya in 2015.
At club level, Ouazane moved up to Ajax’s under-19 team during the 2024-2025 season. Although a move to Real Madrid had been considered at the end of that campaign, the Dutch club promoted him to its first team in the summer of 2026 under Spanish coach Michel, whose full name is Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz, the newspaper reported.
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Ouazane made an immediate impression in his first official appearance for Ajax’s senior team in the Dutch league on August 16, scoring with a curling shot into the top corner from outside the penalty area after winning the ball high up the pitch.
L’Équipe noted that the young midfielder has also been deployed on the wings, where he can develop his speed, defensive recovery and versatility. However, he is more comfortable in central midfield, either as a box-to-box midfielder or in an attacking role.
Nabil Baha, his former coach with Morocco’s under-17 team, praised Ouazane’s technical and tactical qualities in comments cited by L’Équipe, saying he “has a very high football IQ for his age.”
The newspaper added that Ouazane hopes to feature at the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Portugal and Spain.
