🇲🇦MoroccoNorth Africa
El Ouahdi and Boufal score, Mazraoui and El Aynaoui return to starting lineup for Atlas Lions
via Le Matin2 min read
Several Atlas Lions players delivered strong performances in Europe this past weekend. In Belgium, Zakaria El Ouahdi was named man of the match for KRC Genk, scoring a spectacular goal in the 68th minute and assisting another in the 71st minute during their 2-1 victory against Westerlo. El Ouahdi now has 12 goals and 4 assists across all competitions, establishing himself as a key defender in the Belgian league. In Ligue 1, Sofiane Boufal scored his first goal for Le Havre in the 13th minute against his former club Angers, marking his first goal in the French championship in over three years. Noussaïr Mazraoui and Neil El Aynaoui also returned to their respective starting lineups. Mazraoui played in central defense for Manchester United in their 1-0 win against Chelsea, demonstrating his versatility. El Aynaoui started for AS Roma in their 1-1 draw against Atalanta, marking his third start in 12 matches since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. These individual and collective performances are timely for the Moroccan internationals ahead of the 2026 World Cup. El Ouahdi expressed his ambition to participate in the World Cup, calling it a "childhood dream" despite strong competition for a spot on the national team.
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