Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, with his slender physique, is considered a man for big occasions with the Moroccan national football team, having proven this in the 2022 Qatar and 2026 North America editions. The 'Atlas Lions' pin further hopes on him as they face France on Thursday in the quarter-finals in Boston.

Morocco owes its quarter-final appearance for the second consecutive time, an unprecedented Arab and African achievement, to Ounahi, nicknamed 'The Little Bee' (diminutive of bee) for his slender body, his energetic movements across the pitch, and his decisive 'stings'.

He scored a brace against Canada in the round of 16 (50th and 82nd minutes), which liberated his teammates and saved them from the trap of one of the three host nations, leading them to a big 3-0 victory.

Ounahi became the second Moroccan player to score a brace in a single World Cup match since Salaheddine Bassir's two goals against Scotland in the 1998 edition, and the fifth African player to do so after Egypt's Abdelrahman Fawzi against Hungary in 1934, Cameroon's Roger Milla against Colombia in 1990, and Senegal's Henri Camara against Sweden in 2002.

The Moroccan team struggled significantly in the first half, creating only one chance, but Ounahi's brilliance shone in the second half as the 'Atlas Lions' showed their true mettle and scored three goals, enabling them to continue their perfect run in the current edition.

Ounahi was named Man of the Match, but he did not belittle his teammates: 'The credit goes to the group, and I am very proud of them. We have players who start the match and others who finish it, just like it has been since the beginning of the tournament.'

Ounahi repeated his brilliance in big occasions, similar to what he did during the last edition in Qatar when Morocco achieved an unprecedented feat by reaching the semi-finals, specifically in the round of 16 against Spain.

Spain's then-coach Luis Enrique was impressed by Ounahi, saying: 'Oh my God... who is this player? The player wearing number (8) played amazingly and never stopped running,' explaining that he spoke with his technical staff about him and was surprised by his level.

Ounahi responded in a statement to AFP after the match: 'I didn't hear Enrique's statement because I was undergoing a doping test, but certainly I am happy with what he said about me. Praise from a big coach like Enrique is something any player would be proud of; it boosts morale and motivation. A rival coach rarely praises your abilities, let alone a coach you knocked out of the World Cup.'

That match was the real launch for Ounahi, who was then 22 years old and playing for French club Angers. He later moved to Marseille in an unsuccessful stint, which saw him loaned to Greek side Panathinaikos and then to Spanish side Girona, but he maintained his brilliance with his national team.

Ounahi is the only player in the starting lineup of new coach Mohamed Ouahabi who is a graduate of the local 'Mohammed VI Academy'.

Born on April 19, 2000, in Casablanca into a footballing family... His older and younger brothers also played at the amateur level in Morocco, and he is the cousin of former Royal Army defender Reda Mahanawi.

He started playing football at an early age, specifically at 5 years old, and joined the youth ranks of Raja Casablanca. He then moved in 2015 to the 'Mohammed VI Academy' on the outskirts of Salé, the city of pirates, separated from the capital Rabat by the Bou Regreg River.

In 2018, he moved to French club Strasbourg, but did not play any matches, so he joined the reserve team of Avranches in the fifth division in 2020 on a free transfer. He established himself as the team's playmaker by showcasing his technical skills, dribbling, and crucial passes.

Ounahi moved to Angers in mid-2021 on a four-year contract, and he imposed himself in the lineup, earning a call-up from Bosnian-French coach Vahid Halilhodzic to represent Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. That was his launch, and he has since reached 54 international matches, scoring 11 goals.

He has revealed on several occasions that he draws inspiration from former stars: Spain's Andrés Iniesta and Brazil's Kaká.

His slender physique and height of 182 cm make him prone to injuries, especially due to his high technical skills and the strong tackles from his opponents.

Ounahi, who excels with his dribbling in extracting balls from crowded areas, said: 'Every match, I ended up with a hit to the ankle or knee.'