There are truths that the green rectangle cannot hide for long. While the national eleven was swaying dangerously under the assaults of a surprising and uninhibited Haitian selection, led twice in a trap match which threatened to transform the American dream into a mirage, a man came out of his box. Entered in the 69th minute under the clamor and, let’s say it, the skeptical eyes of part of sporting opinion, Soufiane Rahimi not only inspired revolt. He wrote, in the space of twenty-one minutes, a textual ode to resilience. Result: a liberating goal in the 78th minute to deliver his teammates (3-2), then a luminous offering for the youngster Gessime Yassine (89th) in order to definitively seal the triumph and qualification of the Lions of the Atlas for the round of 16 of the World Cup 2026. Football often offers a second chance to those who refuse to give up, and for Rahimi, this Wednesday evening in Atlanta sounded like redemption, a brilliant revenge. His celebration after the 78th minute goal says a lot on this subject.
The purgatory of 2022 and the weight of skepticism
To understand the emotional charge that accompanied this angry celebration of the native of Casablanca, we have to go back to December 2022. While the Morocco amazed the entire planet in Qatar, Rahimi was champing at the bit, deprived of the celebration by the choices of the time, exiled in the Gulf far from the spotlight of consecration. A sidelining that could have broken the trajectory of many talents, but not that of the darling child of Raja. Returned to grace through triumphs with Al AinSoufiane was however thrown to the wolves from the start of this North American campaign. Too “local” for some, “profile unsuitable for global intensity” for others, or downright “unworthy of selection, with insufficient physical qualities”. His rare minutes played against Brazil and Scotland were enough to fuel the mill of easy criticism.
However, the figures go against these assessments: Rahimi was the most generous replacement, the one who completed the most sprints, with a place in the Top 10 of the best average speeds recorded during the first round (according to FIFA). On Wednesday, Mohamed Ouahbi had a hollow nose when he threw his dynamiter as the ship capsized. Where others would have buckled under the weight of pressure and denigration, Rahimi demonstrated surgical composure. His appearance transformed a sterile offensive block into a vertical war machine. His goal was a masterpiece of positioning and killer instinct from the box, while the pass to Gessime in the 89th minute highlighted the sheer selflessness of a player who puts the national flag above his own frustration.
To those who doubted his ability to play at the highest level, the striker responded with facts. No sensational declarations in mixed zones, no vindictive posts on social networks. Just a major performance which reminds us that the reservoir of grinta of this team also draws its source from the Moroccan school.
