Premier League strugglers Queens Park Rangers were handed a massive boost with the news that playmaker Adel Taarabt will not be heading to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in January.
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The 23-year-old midfielder had initially revealed he was torn between representing his country at the continental championships and staying in London to help his beleaguered club.
QPR have managed just one win all season and occupy 19th place with just 10 points from 18 games.
New boss Harry Redknapp is doing his utmost to improve an expensively assembled but under performing side and had expressed his desire to see Taarabt remain for the duration of AFCON.
And he appears to have been granted his wish with the Moroccan left out of Rachid Taoussi's 24-man squad.
QPR head of media Ian Taylor revealed the news on his Twitter page to the delight of the club's fans.
He wrote: "R's fans - you sang you wanted him to stay at Loftus Road, and it appears he is.
"Whatever language you read it in, Taarabt is NOT in the Morocco squad for the Cup of Nations."
Also left out of Taoussi's are former captain Hussein Kharja and Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh.
Mehdi Benatia is the new Lions of the Atlas captain.
Morocco squad for AFCON 2013:
Goalkeepers: Nadir Lamyaghri (WAC, Morocco), Anas Zniti (MAS, Morocco), Khalid Askari (RCA, Morocco);
Defenders: Abderrahim Achchakir (AS FAR, Morocco), Mehdi Benatia (Udinese, Italy), Younes Belakhdar (AS FAR, Morocco), El Adoua Issam (Guimaraes, Portugal), Ahmed Kantari (Brest, France), Abdelhamid El Kaoutari (Montpellier, France), Zakarya Bergdich: (Lens, France);
Midfieldfers: Karim El Ahmadi (Aston Villa, England), Adil Hermach (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia), Kamal Chafni (Brest, France), Mehdi Namli (MAT, Morocco), Younes Belhanda (Montpellier, France), Abdelaziz Barrada (Getafe, Spain);
Strikers: Nordin Amrabat (Galatasaray, Turkey), Chahir Belghazouani (Ajaccio, France), Osama Assaidi (Liverpool, England), Abdelilah Hafidi (RCA, Morocco), Youssef Kadioui (AS FAR, Morocco), Abderrazak Hamdallah (OCS, Morocco), Youssef El Arabi (Granada, Spain), Mounir El Hamdaoui (Fiorentina, Italy).
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