Affelay made 53 appearances for the Netherlands from January 2007-March 2016, bagging 7 goals as he shined at a club level with teams such as PSV Eindhoven, Schalke, Barcelona and Olympiacos.
Netherlands and Morocco lock horns in the competition at the Monterey Stadium this Tuesday in what should be a thrilling affair between two sides in fine form.
The Dutch finished top of Group F, unbeaten, and ahead of Japan by two points whilst Morocco placed second in Group C, finishing behind Brazil on goal difference.
Ahead of the clash, Affelay made a controversial statement as he backed Morrocco to beat the Netherlands, despite being a fan favourite for the Dutch for nearly a decade.
When asked who he was supporting he stated: "For this particular match, my heart is with Morocco."
Then asked why, he responded: “My roots are in Morocco, my parents are from there, and my family lives there. What more of an explanation do I need to give?”
Finally, when his time playing for the Netherlands was mentioned, he said: "I also grew up here, and I'm grateful for that. But that's also because of my own achievements. I wasn't in the Dutch national team just because I'm a nice guy."
Netherlands could meet a Germany or a France in the final eight if they progress against Morocco as they seek to win the World Cup for the first time after finishing as runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
Affelay’s mind will be divided on Tuesday night but it looks like he will be rooting for the national side he played for to be knocked out.