Rabat- Sofiane Rahimi has firmly established himself in Moroccan sporting history, earning acclaim from FIFA as one of the nation’s greatest Olympians. His stellar performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics has positioned him alongside legendary figures like Nawal El Moutawakel and Hicham El Guerrouj.
FIFA commended Rahimi for his exceptional play with the Moroccan Olympic National Football Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Sofiane Rahimi has now secured his place among these iconic Moroccan figures. The center-forward, who plays for Al Ain FC in the UAE, currently leads the Paris 2024 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament scoring charts with five goals,” FIFA noted on Rahimi’s profile.
Morocco’s top scorer with five of the team’s 10 goals, Rahimi played a crucial role in propelling the nation to the semi-finals. He delivered a standout performance in Morocco’s opening game against Argentina, scoring twice in a 2-1 victory. The promising striker was also on target in the quarter-final against the USA, contributing a goal to a 4-0 evisceration of the Americans team at the Parc des Princes.
“Rahimi’s five goals in four games have surpassed Ahmed Faras‘ three-goal tally in the record books for Moroccan players, following Faras’s remarkable hat-trick at the Munich Olympics in 1972,” FIFA highlighted.
Read also: Soufiane Rahimi Becomes All-Time Top Scorer for Morocco in Olympic Soccer
The former Raja CA striker is now focused on his next challenge: winning an Olympic medal, a first for Morocco. With Morocco having advanced to the semi-finals of Paris 2024, the former Raja CA striker is now focused on going all the way to the end of this Olympic journey.
With a medal in sight, the Moroccan Lions no longer seem to be satisfied with trophy-less commendable performances. They now want an Olympic medal, not just the mention of having made history as the first Moroccan team ever to reach the semi-finals, or the first African and Arab team to score more than three goals in an Olympic knockout stage.
“I want to take home the most coveted medal and finish as the tournament’s top scorer,” Rahimi said after the quarter-final victory against the USA. “More than anything else, I want to contribute my utmost to the team’s collective success, because it’s our shared destiny.”
