Ayoub El Kaabi has emerged because the hero of the match to date for the host nation. Picture: AFP
RABAT:
With captain Achraf Hakimi hardly that includes throughout the Africa Cup of Nations group stage as he recovers from damage, Ayoub El Kaabi has emerged because the hero of the match to date for the host nation.
Whereas Hakimi, the African footballer of the yr, has made only one substitute look thus far, El Kaabi got here off the bench to seal Morocco’s 2-0 win over Comoros within the opening sport with a surprising overhead kick.
That second of magic earned the 32-year-old a spot within the beginning line-up for the subsequent match, a 1-1 draw with Mali.
Whereas El Kaabi did not repeat his goalscoring heroics on what was a extra irritating event for a much-hyped Moroccan workforce, he was again at it in Monday’s 3-0 victory in opposition to Zambia which allowed the Atlas Lions to wrap up first place in Group A and a last-16 tie in opposition to Tanzania.
The Olympiacos hitman headed within the opening purpose and later wrapped up the win with one other overhead kick.
Cue adulation within the kingdom for a participant who first broke into the nationwide workforce forward of the 2018 World Cup however has by no means actually been a longtime starter.
Viral movies
Movies posted on-line of followers repeating El Kaabi’s bicycle kick transfer in unlikely conditions have grow to be viral, registering hundreds of thousands of views.
In the meantime, a lightweight present within the sky over Casablanca used drones to recreate El Kaabi scoring in acrobatic style.
One other broadly considered on-line video is a compilation of all of the objectives scored by El Kaabi in that method, as a result of the overhead kick has lengthy been his speciality.
He scored 4 such objectives throughout a breakthrough 2020/21 season with Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca and had already pulled off the feat a few instances for his nation earlier than the AFCON, together with in gorgeous style in opposition to Benin final June.
“A very powerful factor is to attain. It does not actually matter who scores or how they do it,” El Kaabi humbly mentioned after the Zambia sport.
From carpenter to goalscorer
El Kaabi’s story begins within the streets of Casablanca, the place he began enjoying soccer in an impoverished neighbourhood and labored as a carpenter.
“I grew up in a shanty city in Derb Mila, a neighbourhood that everyone is aware of,” the striker mentioned in an interview with UEFA.com in 2024.
“We had been in a little bit of a tough monetary state of affairs. I used to be in a position to go to high school and research, and in the summertime I labored with the intention to assist my household.
“I helped my Dad who labored in development. The work I did at the moment made me a person.”
Of working as a carpenter, he added: “It’s a actually nice job which embraces artwork and creativity.”
El Kaabi ultimately signed his first skilled contract with Racing Casablanca in 2014, on the age of 21.
After one spectacular season within the Moroccan second division, he moved to the highest flight with Renaissance Berkane after which had a stint in China.
Then got here a return dwelling to signal for Wydad earlier than a prolific spell in Turkey with Hatayspor ended following a devastating earthquake in early 2023.
A short stint in Qatar got here after that, however the switch that actually elevated him to the subsequent stage got here when he joined Greek giants Olympiacos.
El Kaabi has scored 75 objectives in two and a half years there, together with the winner in opposition to Fiorentina within the UEFA Convention League closing in Could 2024 — a stooping header reasonably than a bicycle kick.
In the meantime El Kaabi first stood out at worldwide stage by ending as the highest scorer as Morocco gained the 2018 African Nations Championship, a match for locally-based gamers.
He performed at that yr’s World Cup in Russia after which captained his nation to a different African Nations Championship triumph in 2021.
El Kaabi additionally performed on the Cup of Nations in 2022 and 2024 however had by no means scored on the match till this version.
Having overtaken Soufiane Rahimi and Youssef En-Nesyri within the pecking order, he might be hoping to fireplace the hosts to victory in opposition to rank outsiders Tanzania in Rabat on Sunday.
