Morocco skipper Mehdi Benatia said on Tuesday he decided to put an end to his international career after spending11 years with the Atlas Lions. The Duhail defender has been a regular member of Morocco's squad since starting his international career in 2008 in a World Cup qualifier against Cameroon. "I spoke to coach Vahid Halilhodzic ten days ago and I informed him that I will retire from international duty," Benatia told BeIN sports on Tuesday. "I spent 11 years with the national team and I did my best with them. Playing for your country is a great honor and I am satisfied with my performance during the past 11 years. "But it is painful to hear someone saying Benatia is the one who picks the players of the national team and chooses the matches to play." The 32-year-old, who played for Udinese, Juventus, Roma and Bayern Munich earned 58 international caps, scoring twice. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)