Any player tasked with playing against aces like Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne would have to be on top of their game – and would still probably have to admit that those two players are simply in a class of their own. But Moroccan international Sofyan Amrabat took on the challenge and still came out swinging. His Atlas Lions defeated Belgium and played a goalless draw with Croatia to qualify for the knockout stage and set up a meeting with Spain.Now, the Spanish press knows a thing or two about classy midfielders. After all, they have been watching players like Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Isco, Marco Asensio and many more in the past decade. And those same journalists are currently worried that Amrabat could seriously hamper their chances of making it to the last eight.Sofyan Amrabat (26) 🇲🇦 versus Belgium 36 accurate passes 🎯 2 tackles won 🧱 9 recoveries 💪 100% long balls ✈️ Fiorentina’s beast is at it again. He always performs in big matches. What an underrated player ✅ #SerieAScouting #Amrabat #Morocco #Belgium #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/oYJkQeLbIi— Serie A Scout ⭐️🇮🇹 (@SerieAScout_) November 27, 2022 Morocco have conceded just one goal in this World Cup – and just three throughout the African qualifiers. And that’s not just because of the goalkeeper Bono and the consistent back four of Achraf Hakimi, Nayif Aguerd, Romain Saiss and Noussair Mazraoui, but also the tireless Amrabat, who is patrolling the midfield and adding another layer of protection to his backline.The 26-year-old Fiorentina player became one of the surprise stars in Qatar. Spanish daily Marca even included him in the ideal eleven of the tournament so far. The numbers speak for themselves. Amrabat completed the most passes (118 out of 133), recovered the most balls (24) and made the most interceptions (5).#Morocco head coach Regragui on Sofyan Amrabat:🗣“Trust me, Amrabat is a world-class player. He is a ‘key’ player in my plans”.“I expect him to move to one of the major European clubs after the World Cup”. 🇲🇦 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ZhdsLWoOEp— Africa Soccer Zone (@AfricaSoccer_zn) November 28, 2022 Amrabat’s energetic performances, full of running and initiative, are proving popular among the Moroccan squad itself. Head coach Walid Regragui gave his midfielder the ultimate compliment.”He is our first attacker and our first defender.”The coach, who was given the touchy task of succeeding Vahid Halilhodzic, knew straight away that having such a player in his midfield could make or break his tenure at the helm of the Atlas Lions.”I travelled to Florence to see him and told him that my World Cup depended on him. You know, if his name weren’t Amrabat, he’d be at a top European club.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6862176##The Dutch-born player, the younger brother of former Morocco international Nordin Amrabat, delivered a few excellent seasons for Hellas Verona and Fiorentina in Serie A. There are rumours that Liverpool are watching him closely after his proposed move to Tottenham fell through earlier this year. So, who knows, maybe Regregui’s words have struck a cord somethere in England. Because you cannot deny this guy is one hell of a midfielder.Gavi, Busquets and Pedri should prepare for a big battle on Tuesday.
