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

Morocco owes its second consecutive quarter-final appearance, an unprecedented Arab and African achievement, to Ounahi, nicknamed 'Al-Nuḥayla' (the slender one) for his slim build, energetic movements across the pitch, and decisive 'stings'.

He scored a brace against Canada in the round of 16 in the 50th and 82nd minutes, liberating his teammates and saving them from the trap of their opponent, 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 and the first 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 greatly in the first half, creating only one chance, but Ounahi's brilliance emerged in the second half where the 'Atlas Lions' showed their true metal and scored three goals, allowing 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, as has been the case since the beginning of the tournament.'

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

Then 'La Roja' coach Luis Enrique admired Ounahi, saying: 'Oh my God, who is this player? The player with number 8 played amazingly and never stopped running.' He explained that he spoke with his technical staff about him and was surprised by his level.

Ounahi replied in a statement to AFP after the match: 'I didn't hear Enrique's statement because I was undergoing a doping test, but I am certainly happy with what he said about me. Praise from a great coach like Enrique makes any player proud, boosts morale, and spurs determination. Rarely does an opposing coach praise 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 side Angers. He later moved to Marseille in an unsuccessful stint, during which he was loaned to Greek club Panathinaikos and then to Spanish club Girona, but he maintained his brilliance with his national team.

From the fifth division

Ounahi is the only player in the starting lineup of new coach Mohamed Ouhbi who graduated from the local Mohammed VI Academy.

He was born on April 19, 2000, in Casablanca to 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 Mhanaoui.

He started playing football at an early age, specifically at five, and joined the youth ranks of Raja Casablanca, before moving in 2015 to the Mohammed VI Academy in the outskirts of the 'pirates' city of Salé, which is separated from the capital Rabat by the Bou Regreg River.

In 2018, he moved to French side 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, and established himself as the team's playmaker by showcasing his technical skills, dribbling, and decisive passes.

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

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

His slender physique and height of 1.82 meters make him prone to injuries, especially due to his high technical skills and the strong tackles from his opponents.

Ounahi, who excels at dribbling to bring the ball out of crowded areas with his feet, said: 'I used to end every match with a blow to the ankle and knee.'