A Casablanca Lion Roaring in Piraeus
There are numbers, and then there are *statements*. Ayoub El Kaabi, the 32-year-old born in Casablanca, is making the kind of statement that stops scrolling fingers and drops jaws.
Listed officially as a midfielder, El Kaabi plays the game of a pure centre-forward — and he is doing it with breathtaking efficiency for Olympiakos Piraeus.
The Numbers That Demand Your Attention
Across all competitions this season, El Kaabi has delivered 21 goals and 3 assists in 40 appearances for Olympiakos Piraeus. In the Greek Super League 1 alone, he has struck 18 times in 27 games.
Step up to the UEFA Champions League stage — where the lights burn brightest and the margins shrink to millimetres — and El Kaabi answered with 2 goals and 1 assist across 10 appearances. Serious numbers at any level.
The Shirt, The Pride, The Mission
Pull on the No. 20 shirt for Morocco, and El Kaabi carries it like a crown. He has worn it 14 times across all matches this season, and he has answered every call.
4 goals and 1 assist across those 14 appearances, including 3 goals and 1 assist in 7 Africa Cup of Nations matches — and a further goal across 6 AFCON qualification appearances. At 6 ft (182 cm), he blends the physical presence Morocco's system demands with the technical quality that separates contenders from champions.
The Conversation That's Already Been Settled
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, consistent performers at this level of output are exactly what the national team's planning revolves around.
El Kaabi isn't knocking on the door of that conversation. He built the room. Dima Maghrib!