Younes Ebnoutalib: what if Morocco has (finally) found its new center forward?

The 22-year-old forward, standing at 1.91 m, first scored a rapid double at the very start of the match, between the 10th and 11th minute, allowing his team to come back and then take the lead. He completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute with a technical volley, finishing off a well-executed counterattack with a precise shot into the side netting.

With this performance, Ebnoutalib brings his total of goals and assists to five over his last two matches in all competitions, after already making a decisive impact in the cup the previous weekend (1 goal and 1 assist). This run of form naturally puts him back in the conversation for a call-up to the Morocco squad, knowing that he remains eligible for Germany as well and that he had already expressed his frustration after being left out of the 2026 World Cup.

This resurgence in form complicates Mohamed Ouahbi’s job as he puts together his squad list for the upcoming CAN 2027 qualifiers, against Gabon and Lesotho. Especially since the competition up front is fierce: Yassir Zabiri has also stood out recently with a hat-trick for Racing Santander, while Abdellah Ouazane provided two assists with Ajax a few days earlier.

The successor?

Moreover, Younes Ebnoutalib’s sparkling form reignites a still hot topic in Morocco: who will succeed Younes En-nesyri. For years, the latter carried the Moroccan attack. And now, Mohamed Ouahbi has the heavy task of finding him an heir.

It’s the only issue still pending for the Atlas Lions, who have an impressive talent pool in every position except the number 9. Proof of this came during the 2026 World Cup, when Ouahbi decided to play Ismaïl Saibari as center forward, even though he is usually a number 10. The decision paid off as the new Bayern player scored 3 goals in the tournament, but it also highlighted the lack of credible alternatives for the manager.

Now, Younes Ebnoutalib will be closely watched — first to see whether he gets selected, and if so whether he can become the attacking weapon for the Atlas Lions in the upcoming fixtures.