Tag: Moroccan Footballers

MOROCCO : Best U17 Youth Player: Morocco’s Ilies Belmokhtar Named Golden Kid

Ilies is making a name for himself in the football landscape, especially with the Atlas Cubs.

 Morocco’s rising star Ilies Belmokhtar has been named the best U17 youth player competing in France at the inaugural Golden Kid Awards.

Le Monde Du Foot reported that Belmokhtar is taking home a well-deserved recognition, rewarding his exceptional 2024-2025 season.

“For this inaugural edition, Ilies Belmokhtar truly shone. Gifted with genuine tactical maturity, he was one of the key architects of AS Monaco’s success in youth competitions this season,” the same source said.

Commenting on his new achievement, Belmokhtar commented that the award is a “great pride.”

“Especially to my parents, I hope they are proud of me,” he said .

The same sports-focused website recalled the triumphs the Atlas Cub has achieved with Morocco , including his U17 Africa Cup of Nations win in April.

The Golden Kid awards seek to recognize the best young developing players in France. The initiative is the fruit of L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi and streamer Isoline Almeida.

In May, Ilies Belmokhtar signed his first professional contract with AS Monaco.

Belmokhtar was born in Ivry-sur-Seine in 2008, and joined the AS Monaco Academy in 2023.

In April, the Atlas Cub was among the five players from the national U-17 team selected for the Best XI of the Under-17 AFCON in its 15th edition.

In addition to Belmokhtar, the players chosen for the Best XI include: goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouch, right-back Moncef Zekri, central defender Driss Aït Chiekh, and attacking midfielder Abdellah Ouazzane.

Morocco’s AFCON  triumph came after a dramatic 0-0 draw against Mali in the final, followed by a 4-2 win in the penalty shootout, securing their spot in football history. 

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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MOROCCO: Nayef Aguerd’s Inspiring Journey: ‘A Hollywood Story for Moroccan Kids’

The Moroccan footballer’s value on the transfer market is estimated at € 32 million.

Moroccan professional football player Nayef Aguerd has been featured in a new documentary that explores his inspiring journey from playing in the streets of Kenitra to joining Premier League team West Ham as a center-back.

The documentary, titled “Premier League Stories – Nayef Aguerd,” follows the Moroccan defender’s journey from playing for the Moroccan club FUS Rabat, Dijon, and Rennes in France, to joining West Ham United in the English Premier League. 

One of the documentaries’ outstanding, particularly emotional scenes shows how Aguerd suffered a serious ankle injury that nearly halted his first season in England’s top league.

Speaking about the footballer‘s inspirational story, French football journalist Julien Laurens said, “I think Aguerd’s story is incredible. He is a symbol of a Moroccan kid who played in Morocco and who was born there and still made his way all the way up to the best league in the world.”

The journalist enthused: “For the kids in Morocco, Aguerd is this Hollywood story.” 

Born in Kenitra, Aguerd started his career at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Sale, a city near Rabat. He landed his first professional contract with Fath Union Sport, also called FUS Rabat, in 2014.

Aguerd spent four seasons with FUS Rabat before joining Dijon in the French Ligue 1. In 2020, he joined Rennes FC, another Ligue 1 club. After to years of brilliant displays during which he established himself as an undroppable and reliable defender at the heart of of Rennes’ defense, the Moroccan footballer signed a five-year contract with England’s West Ham United in July 2022

At a pivotal time in his professional life, the sought-after defender underwent ankle surgery after injuring his ankle in a preseason friendly against Rangers in 2022.

“The two weeks after the surgery, it was difficult to move, so I was in the hotel, taking a lot of pain killers,” Aguerd is seen explaining in the documentary.

Aguerd, whose current value on the transfer market is estimated at € 32 million, pointed out his much-reported, high-value transfer to the Premier League put a lot of pressure on him as he felt the need to prove himself. “When you come with a transfer value like mine, you want to show that you deserve it,” the player said.

Prior to playing for the Moroccan national team, Argued stated that it was his childhood dream to represent his country in the world’s most important competition.

Little wonder then that, in the documentary, the sought-after defender was ecstatic when recalling his country’s historic World Cup journey. “I will never forget this tournament,” he said of the Moroccan Atlas Lions’ heroics in Qatar.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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