From ball collector to "lionesses" .. Sarhan evokes the story of the "artist on the margins."

In football, time is not only gold, but also a title, as many cups, medals, titles, and championships have been decided in the last minutes of the match, and sometimes in stoppage time. The examples I mention do not require a deep dive into history; they float on the surface of memory.

To save time, ball boys appeared in football stadiums. They first appeared at Chelsea Stadium in 1905, before having counterparts in other stadiums around the world.

The ball boys form a team of youth from the host team, with a number that varies from league to league, depending on the size of the pitch and the importance of the match. They spread around the perimeter of the green rectangle, with three or four at each touchline and one or two behind each goal, quickly returning the ball to play whenever it goes out of the field, thus limiting the loss of time if it benefits their team, or delaying a bit to frustrate the opponent if the match is in their favor.

Many ball boys later become stars of the game, including Cristiano, Cannavaro, Sofiane Rahimi, Raúl González, Phil Foden, and Philipp Lahm… As for Guardiola, who was also a ball boy, he continues to surpass himself, as he now, being who he is in the coaching world, not only issues instructions to the team but also to the ball boys, depending on the importance of the match and the nature of the opponent.

However, some ball boys rush to stardom and achieve it while still children, due to their clear contribution to their team's glory, like Oakley Cannonier, the hero of Liverpool's corner against Barcelona that resulted in a historic comeback leading to the Champions League victory in 2019, or due to causing harm to the opponent, like Charlie Morgan, who was behind Eden Hazard's red card in the 2013 League Cup semi-final, leading to a three-match suspension. Such children often receive symbolic recognition from their teams. And because they are minors, any mischief they commit during matches results in fines for their guardians from clubs and national teams.

Perhaps the last strong moment on this subject is Moreno's celebration with the ball boy at Benfica, Francisco Cunha, right after the team's goalkeeper scored the fourth goal against Real Madrid in the 2026 Champions League. The image of that hug will remain etched in the boy's memory for a lifetime; neither forgetting nor Alzheimer's nor even dementia can erase it.

The talents of these boys emerge early, often hinting at the glory they will achieve. In a circulated video of penalty kicks, one ball boy is seen behind the goal pointing to the direction of the shot, and each time his prediction comes true, making him a great goalkeeper, a great goalkeeper in waiting, especially since the two goalkeepers were diving opposite to his expectation. What is his name, that boy? The video tells us nothing about him. So let’s call him Lev then, Lev Junior, in honor of Lev Yashin, the greatest penalty saver of all time.

They are the margins that illuminate the text.

In Morocco, the letter "n" of women is no less than the letter "t" of testosterone; it is not like the "j" of the noble, as it has proven, in various fields, throughout history, that it is more fruitful. With "n," not "t," begins the nobility. And with "n," also, and the pen as a witness, begins the text. Therefore, Morocco could not be a written text without the "n" of Kenza and the "n" of Zaynab; the Aourbi and the Nefzaoui, as a form of honor, were not just mere margins in it, for they are the granddaughters of more than one "n" obscured in the great manuscript.

At the end of each school year, the "n" tops the results, followed by the "t," of course. If they join the most prestigious institutes and universities, they shine from Ben Guerir to Paris as a form of distinction. And perhaps their number in polytechnic schools here and there ignites the greenery in the remains of their grandmothers.

The Moroccan body also has its nobility. Perhaps the fastest "n" that comes to mind is the "n" of Nawal and Nouha. When athletics in Morocco was at its peak, and Aouita and those who followed him were looking back with no breath behind them, Nawal and those like her were winning medals one after another, elevating the country on the scoreboard of nations. Without their titles, the titles of "n," we would not have had the standing we had.

Then we reach the lair of the lioness, the lioness of the Atlas.

In the sports arena, Morocco is experiencing a football renaissance that it has only seen in two previous periods, one with the "t" of tennis and the other with athletics in both genders. If there is any credit to be given, it goes to the Mohammed VI Football Academy, which I consider the elder sister of the Mohammed VI University of Multidisciplinary Studies, except that the latter is open to the "t" of brilliance and the "n" of nobility, while the former is inexplicably and unjustifiably open to males only, which is something the Royal Moroccan Football Federation must address as soon as possible, not only for the sake of "n," but also to elevate the level of women's teams across all categories, by adorning them with the jewels of the academy just as they do with males…

And just to remind, lionesses expand the wilderness with fierceness more than lions do.

On my way back home in the afternoon, I was stopped by the sight of three girls playing at the entrance of an elementary school. They were all under ten and wearing aprons with utmost joy.

It seems that their parents were a bit late for them, so they seized that little time to play with a soda can they found as a blessing nearby.

Each one of them was a whole team: neither did this one care for that one, nor did the third wait for them to notice her. They passed the can to the nearest empty space, reveling in the sound of the can as if it were a goal achieved.

They were neither players nor was the can a ball. Yet they filled the space with skill. Childhood alone is a skill, a great skill that diminishes with the rise of maturity.

If only they could be delayed a little longer so I could enjoy more, I am the audience that does not have a cheer to split. For me, one of the most beautiful children's league matches is exclusively broadcast on the channel I wink from.