Yassine Bounou and Hakim Ziyech earned places among this year’s nominees thanks to their spectacular performances with national and international clubs.
Rabat – France Football published the nominees competing for the best Maghreb player. The shortlist includes Morocco’s international football players Hakim Ziyech and Yassine Bounou.
The magazine published the Best Maghreb Player award shortlist yesterday.
The list, which contains five names, features Ziyech and Bounou who earned spots among the nominees thanks to their spectacular performances at the national and international level.
Hakim Ziyech
France Football described Ziyech as the boss of a selection that brought him qualification for the African Cup of Nations 2020 (CAN).
The magazine recalled that Hakimi moved to Chelsea from Ajax.
“Despite strong competition, he did well… he plays and makes plays,” the magazine said.
Earlier this year AFC Ajax voted Hakim Ziyech the best player of the Amsterdam team for the third consecutive year.
The Dutch football club announced Ziyech’s awarded title on May 14 via the Ajax website, referring to him as the “Wizard of AMS.”
Ziyech played for Ajax since 2016 before joining Chelsea in February of this year, signing a five-year contract. The €45 million deal with the London Club positions the Dutch-born Moroccan among the most expensive players in the world.
Yassine Bounou
Like Hakim Ziyech, Yassine Bounou is also among the key football members of Morocco’s national team.
Yassine Bounou brought victories for the Moroccan national team as well as his Spanish club, Sevilla.
France Football said that Yassine Bounou’s year “was marked by a remarkable career.”
The magazine recalled Bounou’s contribution to Sevilla’s success against giant clubs, including Manchester United.
The football player’s performances enabled him to be the number one choice of Morocco’s head coach Vahid Halilhodzic.
The full list of football players competing for the same title includes Said Benrahma and Ismael Bennacer from Algeria and Tunisia’s Ali Maaloul.
France Football is one of the most influential sports publications in Europe. The magazine is best known for its yearly Ballon d’Or award, considered the most important individual award in international football.
