"The admiration for the number 8" haunts Onahi.

The question raised by coach Luis Enrique after Spain's elimination from the 2022 World Cup on penalties by Morocco still lingers in the minds, when he said: “I was very surprised by player number 8, oh my God, who is this boy?” That boy was none other than 22-year-old Azzedine Ounahi, who was then playing for Angers in France, delivering a performance characterized by vitality and audacity on the global stage, prompting Luis Enrique to praise him again by saying: “He didn’t stop running throughout the match; he must be exhausted now, he was incredibly impressive, and Morocco is lucky to have him.”

The admiration for the rising star was not limited to the Spanish side; it extended to the global sports community, which praised his tactical intelligence, continuous movements, and high skills, in a historic journey that led the “Atlas Lions” to overcome Portugal with a clean goal in the quarter-finals, before their adventure in the semi-finals came to a halt against the French team with a 2-0 loss.

Today, four years later, the clash between the “Roosters” and the “Lions” renews at the Boston stadium in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, where the Moroccan team looks to settle the score and advance to the semi-finals, relying primarily on the maturity and contributions of their midfielder Azzedine Ounahi.

Nasser Larguet, who headed the Mohammed VI Academy where the player grew up and later served as the technical director of the Moroccan Football Federation, said: “Honestly, I was amazed by his wonderful level in the 2022 edition because the gap is huge between Angers and the elite of world football, especially for a young player, and everyone realized then that he is a player of high caliber.”

Under the leadership of coach Mohamed Wahbi, Azzedine Ounahi has started playing in a more advanced attacking position compared to his previous deeper midfield role under former coach Walid Regragui, and he succeeded in breaking the deadlock during the comprehensive victory over Canada with a 3-0 score in the Round of 16, where he scored a brilliant goal from a tactical free-kick, before adding another goal following a quick counter-attack.

After the match, his young midfield teammate Samir Lmrabet stated that the Casablanca native is one of the most influential figures in his football career.

Nasser Larguet spoke about the development of Girona's player within the tactical system of the Moroccan national team since Mohamed Wahbi's arrival last March, explaining: “He possesses the same qualities on the field, but he now benefits from the confidence gained from the maturity he has acquired over the past four years, and Mohamed Wahbi gives him the freedom to move forward and approach the opponents' goal, as while he was in the 2022 edition a link between defense and attack creating goals, he is now the one finishing chances in the net.”