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Rabat – Kick streamer Ilyas El Maliki made waves at the Kings World Cup Nations last year — now he’s back with his own team. The quirky football competition drew over three million viewers across Morocco, and Gerard Pique stands to make the most of this surge of popularity, announcing that El Maliki will preside over his own club – Ultra Chmicha – in the Kings League starting next June.
The big reveal was broadcast on a Kick livestream with ex-Barcelona star Gerard Piqué, with over half a million people tuned in to watch as the duo dropped the news.
Piqué touched down in Morocco last Sunday and El Maliki took him to see Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi – his home club – play against Maghreb de Fès, where they were spotted during the live broadcast of the game joking and laughing, with a translator helping out from behind.
But while El Maliki was meant to lead Morocco’s squad in Italy, legal troubles got in the way after he was handed down a four-month jail sentence for defamation and public indecency that kept him grounded, unable to join his countrymen in the competition.
Then came a huge twist — his sentence was cut to two months, suspended. Since he had already served three, he walked free.
Meanwhile, Morocco’s Kings League campaign was off to a nightmare start. The squad looked lost on the pitch against Colombia and crashed to a heavy defeat. Players admitted they had no clue how to play this fast, video-game-style football.
Although Morocco’s football was a mess, El Maliki’s live streams were a gem to watch. He brought a traditional Dqayqiya band to the set, played pop tunes, and switched up outfits to show off Morocco’s rich culture.
On the pitch, Morocco bounced back. They smashed Ukraine 9-2, then won a tough 4-2 battle against Japan.
That set up a high-stakes quarter-final against the US. Tensions boiled over before the match, with players trading insults pre-game and during warm-ups.
What followed was pure drama. A 7-7 thriller ended in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Morocco held their nerve and won 2-1, setting up a Colombia rematch in the semis. Morocco crashed out of the competition after a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Still, El Maliki broke viewership records and was fun to watch. One fan wrote on X: “Ilyas is one of a kind. One minute he’s dancing, the next he’s praying. I even learned Moroccan Arabic just by watching him.”
Another fan from Saudi cheered for Morocco’s success: “They made the World Cup semis in 2022, now they’re doing it again in the Kings League. Dima Maghrib!”
