Assahafa.com
Ayoub El Kaabi, with his spectacular style, especially his acrobatic overhead kicks, has been making headlines around the world and grabbing the attention of fans and media alike.
He also finished the group stage tied as top scorer with three goals, alongside Brahim Diaz and Riyad Mahrez.
Morocco’s usual hero, Achraf Hakimi, hasn’t seen much action yet. He’s only played once in the group stage as a substitute while he recovers from injury. But Morocco have found a different sort of hero in El Kaabi.
The 32-year-old scored first with an amazing bicycle kick right after coming off the bench. That goal helped seal a 2–0 win over Comoros in the very first game of the tournament.
Then, in Morocco’s final Group A match against Zambia, El Kaabi put on another headline-grabbing show. He scored twice in their 3–0 win, first with a powerful header to open the scoring, and then he wrapped up the win with another sensational overhead kick. That second one basically cemented his new reputation as ‘the bicycle king.’
El Kaabi’s bicycle kicks steal the spotlight
The international media are definitely paying attention. The French sports outlet L’Équipe loved his overhead kicks, calling them an “extraordinary touch” and a signature move that makes him unique. AFP has also hailed him ”the Bicycle kick king.” Other news outlets all over Europe and Africa have been sharing viral videos that compile all his acrobatic strikes.
Videos of fans trying to copy his bicycle kicks have been viewed millions of times, and in Casablanca, they even had celebratory drone light shows that recreated his iconic goals up in the sky.
Scoring with an overhead kick isn’t new for El Kaabi at all, it’s always been his signature move. He’s been doing this for years, going back to when he played for Wydad Casablanca and later for Olympiacos as well.
Despite the growing global attention, El Kaabi remains grounded, insisting after the Zambia match that “the most important thing is to score. It doesn’t really matter who scores or how they do it.”
El Kaabi’s path to the top was anything but ordinary. He grew up in a humble neighborhood in Casablanca, where he actually worked as a carpenter to help support his family before he finally signed his first professional football contract at age 21.
His career journey took him from Morocco’s lower leagues to playing in China, Turkey, Qatar, and Greece, until he finally established himself as a reliable goalscorer on the big European stage.
Right now, El Kaabi has jumped ahead of both Soufiane Rahimi and Youssef En-Nesyri in the forward lineup, making him Morocco’s main attacking weapon as they head into the knockout stage.
And if those amazing bicycle kicks are anything to go by, the ‘king of acrobatics’ probably isn’t done making headlines just yet as the host nation gets ready to face Tanzania in the Round of 16.
Source: Morocco word news
