People often let players who are on the less flamboyant side of the game slip their mind once their career is over. One such star was Ahmed Faras.
Morocco has developed a host of talented players over the years, with the most notable among them being Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, Galatasaray attacker Hakim Ziyech, and Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, among many more. They were part of the Atlas Lions squad that became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of a FIFA World Cup at the 2022 edition in Qatar.
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One could, however, argue that their recent success would not be possible without the heroics of those before them.
Ahmed Faras was one of those heroes. What sets him apart from those of his peers who had also achieved so much in the game is the fact that he did it while spending his entire club career in Africa, and is truly a one-team man. His life as a professional footballer began all the way back in 1965 for Chabab Mohammedia, the club at which he would eventually retire in 1982. The former striker finished as the Botola Pro league's top scorer on two occasions: in 1969 and 1973, and also won the top flight with his team a year before his retirement.
He is not only loved for his loyalty to the club, but also for his achievements for the Morocco national team. Although the Atlas Lions are considered one of the continent's powerhouses, they have, perhaps shockingly, only won the Africa Cup of Nations once. This occurred in 1976, and Faras played an instrumental role in helping the nation achieve that success.
At the time, the competition was structured differently to the way we know it today. In 1976, eight teams participated in the competition. They were divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each progressing to the next and final stage, which would determine the overall winner. The last four would play each team once, with the team who topped the table being handed the trophy.
Heading into the final game, Morocco needed only a draw to secure the title, given they were one point ahead of second-placed Guinea, who needed three points to secure the trophy. As Faras recalled, speaking to FIFA, that encounter was a difficult one given that "the Guineans were seen as the Brazilians of Africa at the time".
In fact, the Atlas Lions were 1-0 down going into half-time, but Faras intervened to help level matters, and he described how the all-important goal came about: "In the 86th minute, I carried the ball forward from midfield and heard someone call for it. I passed very quickly to Ahmed Makrouh, and he scored the equaliser with a shot from 25 metres out. Four minutes later, the Zambian referee whistled for the end of the game, and the title was ours."
Prior to this triumph, Faras introduced himself to the world at the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, where Morocco were knocked out at the group stage. Two years later, the forward led his side to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, where he bagged three goals. His qualities were then rewarded with what is perhaps the continent's most prestigious individual award, with the ex-striker being crowned the African Player of the Year in 1975, an achieved that cemented his place in the rich history of African football.
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