Gerets win tug of war against own country

On Thursday Morocco called up the Belgian-born striker Nacer Chadli for next week's friendly against Northern Ireland even though Belgium have also expressed a desire to cap the player.

Gerets also wants Standard Liege forward Mehdi Carcela, who has two full caps for Belgium, in the Morocco squad for the African Nations Cup qualifiers next year although the player still has to begin the process to change his allegiance.

"I will only make a definite choice once I figure out what is best for my career," the Liege-born Chadli told the Dutch magazine Voetbal International on Friday.

He said because next Wednesday's match in Belfast is a friendly only he could still choose later to play for Belgium.

"I'm going to leave him along for the moment, but he is welcome to join us. But none must be called up against their will," he told the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwblad.