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Rabat – Morocco assistant coach Joao Sacramento has offered a revealing example of Ayyoub Bouaddi’s tactical intelligence, describing how the young midfielder identified an adjustment needed during the Atlas Lions’ 2026 World Cup opener against Brazil.
Sacramento said Bouaddi approached him during the first hydration break and explained that Morocco’s winger needed to move further inside when defending, as the Lille player felt he was being left with too much space to cover in midfield.
“Coach, the winger needs to close inside more because I feel there is too much space for me to cover,” Bouaddi told Sacramento, according to the Portuguese coach’s account in an interview with Record.
Sacramento said he laughed because Morocco’s coaching staff had discussed the same problem on the bench only moments earlier.
“This shows that he is a player with great intelligence and an exceptional ability to reflect and analyze,” Sacramento said. “I have no doubt that he will soon reach an elite level.”
‘An extension of the coach’
Sacramento described Bouaddi as a complete midfielder who acts as “an extension of the coach” on the pitch because of his ability to read situations and propose solutions as a match unfolds.
The Portuguese tactician said the teenager’s composure against Brazil did not surprise Morocco’s technical staff, even though his maturity and personality may have caught the attention of viewers watching him perform on the World Cup stage.
“When you saw him play immediately against Brazil and saw his personality on the pitch, he looked like a fully developed man, even though he is still a young player,” Sacramento said. “For you, that may have been a surprise. For us, it was not.”
Sacramento also pointed to Bouaddi’s academic interests as evidence of his intelligence away from football, saying the midfielder is studying applied mathematics at university.
The Morocco assistant added that Bouaddi possesses maturity beyond his age and would likely have succeeded in another profession had he not become a footballer.
Bouaddi developed through the French youth international system before choosing to represent Morocco at senior level.
FIFA approved his change of sporting nationality on May 15, making him eligible to play for the Atlas Lions ahead of the World Cup. The Moroccan federation confirmed that he was playing for French club Lille when the switch was completed.
