Mondial 2022: The Winners Of The Mohammed VI Academy, Symbols Of Moroccan Success
Rabat, Dec 13 (TNA) Work, exemplarity and excellence are the values of this place which has made Moroccan training an international reference. Some heroes of the 2022 World Cup learned their skills at the Mohammed VI Football Academy (AMF) in Salé, which trains the football elite.
Eight of the sixteen Atlas Lions who played against Portugal on Saturday, December 10 at the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, come from the various national training centers. Two of them are pure products of the talent factory par excellence: the Mohammed VI Football Academy (AMF). This jewel of the national infrastructure trains the elite of national football.
En-Nesyri, gentleman record
His coaches always emphasize his generosity, his sense of sacrifice and his selflessness. Qualities that make him an atypical striker, far from the "models" to which modern football has accustomed us. Youssef En-Nesyri, author of the winning goal against Seleção, became the first Moroccan to score in two consecutive editions and above all the top scorer in Morocco's history in the World Cup, with three goals, in 2018 and 2022.
He thus overtook his illustrious predecessors Abderrazak Khairi (two goals in 1986) and Salaheddine Bassir and Abdeljalil Hadda (two goals in 1998). To offer his historic qualification in Morocco, the stainless striker made a jump of 2m78 in height, a record in the history of the World Cup, before knocking Diogo Costa to the mat. Before him...Cristiano Ronaldo was 2.56m tall.
In short, En-Nesyri, who arrived at the AMF at only 12 years old, succeeded where Roger Milla, El-hadji Diouf or Asamoah Gyan failed: to send Africa to the semi-finals of the World Cup. He will forever be the first.
Ounahi, full light
Azzedine Ounahi, indispensable in the midfield of the Lions, is one of the most brilliant shadow players. At 22, he is the one who has run the most against Portugal with in particular 12.14 kilometers covered, 72 sprints and 162 high intensity races.
Ounahi is also the player who made the most defensive pressure (76) and the one who offered the most solutions to his teammates (67). Dynamo of this team, reserved and shy, the right midfielder revealed himself to everyone during this tournament.
Luis Enrique, the demanding (and now former) coach of Spain, had showered him with praise after the round of 16 won by the Lions against La Roja (0-0, tab 3-0): "I was pleasantly surprised by number 8. I don't remember the name, I'm sorry. My God, where is this boy from? He played very well."
His insane technical gestures, his astonishing but always calculated risk-taking, his incredible accelerations impressed the public, who are so demanding of the national team. Observers agree in predicting a future far from Angers. Maybe this winter?
Nayef Aguerd, the best
Trained at the AMF, passed by the FUS (under a certain Walid Regragui), before flying to France (Dijon then Rennes) to finally join England (West Ham), Nayef Aguerd is also a symbol of success of the pure national product.
Huge against the Belgian and Spanish offensive armadas, the player had to withdraw against the Portuguese because he suffered a hamstring injury in the 84th minute of the round of 16 against La Roja. Replaced by a great Jawad El Yamiq, the slender central defender still remains number 1 in the hierarchy.
Altruistic, uninhibited, strong on people... he is one of the architects of the winning global campaign of Moroccans. His perfect agreement with Romain Saïss promises a bright future for this already historic team.
Son and nephew of former professional players, he is also one of the best ambassadors of the Mohammed VI Academy. Also very involved in his studies, he also obtained his baccalaureate, scientific option, with honors in 2014.
The success of this national team and its crazy rise is therefore the result of the "Made in Morocco" training which produces quality players capable of competing with, and in this case of outclassing, players from the best training centers in Morocco. Europe. The standard-bearer of national training, the pool of selection, is indeed the Mohammed VI Academy. Its winners are the delight of Moroccans, and it is far from over.