Focus on the Young Lions of the Atlas: Remarkable Showings from Moroccan Talents in Various European Leagues
Young Moroccan talents continue to make headlines across European pitches, with a notable presence from several names representing the footballing future of the “Lions of the Atlas” this week.
Netherlands – Second Division
- Sami Bouhadane (2008): The promising striker from PSV Eindhoven caught attention by scoring for the club’s reserves, later netting a hat-trick with the PSV youth team against Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Youth League. Despite his outstanding form, he will not compete with the Moroccan U-17 national team in the World Cup due to a prior appearance with the Netherlands in the same category.
- Massin Ghadari (2005): The right-back for Utrecht’s reserves scored a beautiful goal in the same league.
- Chahid Allachi (2004): The young winger continued his impressive streak with another goal for Den Bosch.
- Ryan Pounia: Provided an assist while playing for Ajax’s reserves.
- Zakaria Wazzan: Also scored a crucial goal for Ajax’s reserves.
Spain
- Ali El Hwiari (19): The midfielder for Elche played 60 minutes against Sevilla in La Liga, marking his second start of the season. He was recently present with the youth national team in a training camp for the World Cup.
Germany
- Younes ibn Taleb (22): Continues to turn heads with Eintracht Braunschweig in the German second division, scoring two goals this week, adding to his double from the previous match. His statistics indicate a forward who could become an important option for Morocco’s frontline in the future.
Austria
- Ismail Bahti (18): Has become a starter for Sturm Graz’s reserves, although his last match ended with a red card. The experience remains beneficial given the competitive level.
France
- Abdelhamid Ait Bouhdlal (18): The promising defender for Rennes left the match against Lyon due to a minor injury. Despite his youth, he has become a staple in Ligue 1 and received significant praise from fans.
- Safwan Benzahra (2008): The attacking midfielder for Monaco scored one goal and assisted another against Nice in the U19 league.
- Nahil Hdadani (2008): Scored for Monaco in the same match.
- Elias Arabawi (2008): The left-back for the youth national team played the full match with Athletic Bilbao against Arsenal (1-3) in the UEFA Youth League.
Goalkeepers
- Ibrahim Gomez (Marseille): One of the first names confirmed for the Moroccan U-20 national team for the World Cup.
- Yassine Badwi (2008): Started with Marseille against Real Madrid in the UEFA Youth League, putting in a brilliant first half before making some mistakes in the second.
- Yanis Ben Chaouch (Monaco): Officially included in Morocco’s squad for the U-20 World Cup.
Belgium
- Youssef Hamdaoui (2008): The midfielder for Royal Antwerp played 38 minutes against Gent, standing out in duels with a solid rating (6.8). He has previously represented Morocco’s U-20 team but is ineligible for the U-17s due to a past appearance with Belgium in the same category.
These individual highlights confirm that the pool of Moroccan talents in Europe is rich and diverse, providing promising prospects for the “Lions of the Atlas” ahead of the upcoming U-20 World Cup.
