Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi says he wasnt surprised by the performance from youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi after the 18 year old excelled in his debut game at the senior level.
The Lille midfielder starred in Morocco’s 1-1 draw against Brazil by delivering a man of the match worthy type of performance. Bouaddi was a surprise pick to start in midfield against the record World Cup winners after switching nationality from France to Morocco just recently.
Speaking at a post-game presser, Ouahbi pointed out his decision to start Bouaddi was down to performance not age.
“It was not a risk to play him just because he’s 18.I only look at players’ performance, not the age of the player. He could be 35, and if he plays well, he’ll play, or 17.”
“I’m not the guy to be afraid of playing youngsters, we were sure and certain that he’d have a big match, and so it wasn’t a risk at all – it wasn’t the kind of match for taking risks against Brazil.”
“He didn’t impress me [tonight] because we already know what a player he is. He already has a lot [of experience] in Ligue 1, it’s not just about his age, he has already played more matches than others [older than him], more matches in the Champions League” Ouahbi said.
