Man United lodge complaint to FIFA after Morocco stopped Mazraoui from playing against Bournemouth

The Red Devils were held to a dramatic 4-4 draw at Old Trafford by the Cherries on Monday night in their Premier League clash.

United were annoyed about the match being rescheduled, which was originally supposed to be on a Saturday, but it got moved to a Monday night for TV. That change meant the game ended up landing right in the AFCON player release window.

Mazraoui, who has been a frequent player in the squad, was not present for the game as he was due to join his national team for the AFCON competition.

According to ESPN, after Morocco denied United's initial request for Mazraoui's participation, the club escalated the matter to FIFA. 

However, the world governing body upheld the Moroccan federation's position, citing the clear start date of the release period. 

This left United frustrated, particularly as it appeared Morocco prioritised an early training camp over a significant Premier League match.

The club argued that Mazraoui should have been available for the fixture, which fell just inside the mandatory release window for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). 

FIFA regulations require clubs to release players seven days before their country's first match. 

Despite the dispute, Mazraoui was praised for his professionalism. The full-back trained with the squad all week before departing for international duty on Sunday evening.

The situation contrasted sharply with United's successful negotiations with Cameroon and the Ivory Coast, which allowed Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to play against Bournemouth before joining their respective national teams.