Former Morocco international Medhi Benatia has lauded the current national team’s capabilities and highlighted the talents of Achraf Hakimi and Ayyoub Bouaddi in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
Benatia, who earned 66 caps for Morocco and previously served as a director of football at Olympique de Marseille, believes the national side is capable of achieving significant success, particularly as they prepare to face the Netherlands in the round of 16 of the ongoing World Cup. He specifically praised Paris Saint-Germain right-back Hakimi, placing him among the greatest players to ever occupy the position.
“He is one of the best right-backs in history, on the level of Cafu or Maicon,” Benatia stated. “These two, however, did not score the 10 to 15 goals per season that Achraf does. And his level of play never drops, even if he plays more than 60 matches per season.” Hakimi has been a key figure for both PSG and Morocco, consistently delivering both defensively and in attack.
Benatia also expressed immense admiration for 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has quickly emerged as a standout player for Morocco during the World Cup. Bouaddi’s performance against Brazil in the group stage particularly impressed the former defender. “He is a star, one of those players who are born only from time to time,” Benatia commented. “He demonstrates incredible maturity, tactical intelligence, and a strong personality. He looks like he has 300 matches under his belt, when he was born in 2007. He is already worth 100 million euros, but he will not come to Italy: he is too expensive.” Bouaddi currently plays for Lille.
Finally, Benatia discussed the situation of Neil el-Aynaoui, formerly of Lens, who had a spell with Roma. He questioned why el-Aynaoui did not receive more playing time in Serie A, noting he had attempted to bring the player to Marseille but was deterred by the cost. El-Aynaoui made 8 league starts in 25 appearances for Roma this season. Benatia highlighted el-Aynaoui’s combination of quality and work rate as key strengths.
Morocco’s strong showing at the World Cup has significantly raised the profile of its players, and Benatia’s comments reflect the growing belief in the team’s potential for future success.
