- The Moroccan professional football player Ayoub El Kaabi is currently playing as a forward/winger for the Moroccan national team as well as the Turkish club Hatayspor.
- The 31 year-old was raised in the Al-Bayda neighborhoods in Casablanca where he played football on the streets.
- He made the decision to play football professionally at the age of 16 after he was advised to focus on his career instead of selling salt.
Ayoub El Kaabi never knew he would play football professionally until he was sixteen. Since then, he has made a name for himself as a strong-built attacker with a few tricks on his sleeve.
The Moroccan attacker began his career playing for Racing de Casablanca. He has also played for other clubs such as RS Berkane, Hebei F.C, and Wydad Athletic Club. His exceptional skills and performances on the pitch have earned him titles such as Botola Top Scorer and African Nations Championships Best Player 2018.
Ayoub El Kaabi Current Player Profile
- Full Name: Ayoub El Kaabi
- Date of birth: 25 June 1993
- Age: 31 years old
- Place of birth: Casablanca, Morocco
- Nationality: Moroccan
- Height: 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
- Position: Forward, Winger
- Foot: Left
- Current club: Hatayspor
- Jersey: 25
- Joined: Aug 20, 2021
- Contract expires: June 30, 2023
A Look At Ayoub El Kaabi’s Early Life And Background
The Hatayspor forward was born on June 26, 1993, in Casablanca. He was raised in the neighborhoods of Al-Bayda.
Details about his family are not available now but there are reports that claim Ayoub El Kaabi once played for his parents’ club.
How Ayoub El Kaabi began his career as a left-back because of his speed and stamina
During his amateur days, the footballer was loaned by one of the clubs that was practicing in the third national division. Playing quite a number of matches increased his experience before he ventured into his professional career.
He began his professional career playing for Racing Athletique Club as a left-back before he later changed. While he was there, he was credited with ascending the Racing club to the first national division.
In 2017, El Kaabi joined RS Berkane during the summer. He became the top scorer in the 2016-17 season Botola 2 with 25 goals. He equally won the 2018 Moroccan Throne Cup by defeating Wydad de Fes in the finals.
Though he had an impressive record at the club, his time there was short-lived. He was soon sold out to Hebei China Fortune for a transfer fee of €6.5 million in 2018.
El Kaabi scored his first goal for the club on August 2, 2018. His third goal of the season came the following year during a match with Shanghai SIPG. He became noticed as a promising star because of his efforts and performance during the season.
The Moroccan soon joined Wydad AC on a six-month loan in July 2019 but later returned as a free agent. El Kaabi sealed his stay at Wydad with a hat trick against Atletico Petroleos de Luanda. With 18 goals, he was also the top scorer of the Botola in the 2020-21 season.
His current contract with Hatayspor was signed in 2021 and it will run through 2023. The talented player made his debut for the team in the 76th minute game against Galatasaray on 23 August 2021. Five days later, he scored his first goal with the team in a 5-0 victory against Alanyaspor.
El Kaabi Made His International Career Debut In January 2013
Upon joining the Morocco national team, El Kaabi made his international debut in a 2018 Africa Nations Championship group stage match against Mauritania during which he scored two goals. He was also named the Man of the Match after his team scored three in a match against Libya during CHAN’S semi-final match.
His world-class performance and incredible talent made the Confederation of African Football(CAF) choose him as the best player of the tournament. During the tournament, he scored 9 goals in 5 matches which made him the top goal scorer in the history of the tournament.
On 17 January 2018, El Kaabi scored his first international hat trick against Guinea. Later that year, he was still named in Morocco’s 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Out of the three matches, he only played only two in the World Cup.
The prolific forward helped his country to become the first and only country to win the Championship two consecutive times. Throughout his career, he has earned several titles and honors for his outstanding football tactics and skills.
What Is Ayoub El Kaabi’s Net Worth?
According to reports, the talented Moroccan Forward currently has a market value of about €3. 8 million as of January 2021. Also, it is speculated that he was earning about £27,000 weekly and £1,404,000 annually while he was playing for his previous club, Wydada Casablanca. As for his current club, it has not been revealed how much he earns there.
Just as his salary is not known, his net worth is also not known as well. However, there are speculations that his net worth might not be anything less than $1 million. His primary source of income is his career in football but he might have other brand endorsements which can help increase his income.
Here Are Other Facts About Ayoub El Kaabi
1. Ayoub was doing odd jobs before he was persuaded to focus on football
Before the Moroccan international would even think of playing football professionally, he was often seen doing a couple of jobs such as carpentry despite the fact that he had an interest in the game. According to reports, Kaabi was trading salt when he met a player-coach named Youness who later encouraged him to focus on football instead.
Unlike many footballers who started their careers at tender ages, Kaabi’s case was different as he made the decision to play professionally at the age of 16.
2. Is he married?
The former Racing de Casablanca player reportedly married his wife sometime back in 2018. His wife is said to be a woman who is believed to also be his cousin.
The wedding took place in Tit Mellil, a town close to Casablanca. The couple has not shared any news as to whether they now have kids or not but it could be recalled that Kaabi shared a photo of himself and a little child in a swimming pool without any relatable caption.
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3. How old is the Moroccan striker?
The Casablanca-born native is currently 31 years old. considering his age, he might still have a few years to play football before he retires.
See Also: Youssef En-Nesyri 10 Interesting Facts About The Moroccan Football Star
4. Is Ayoub El Kaabi’s height above average?
The attacker has an impressive height and good body-built. With a height of over 6 feet, he is definitely above average. He weighs about 72kg.
5. Ayoub El-Kaabi is the first player to hit double digits in the history of CHAN
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Aside from being the first player to hit double digits in CHAN, he has also other titles and awards which he has achieved in his career because of his outstanding playing skills and tactics. Here are a few other titles he has earned:
Individual
- RSB Player of the Season: 2018
- African Nations Championship Best Player: 2018
- African Nations Championship Top Scorer: 2018
- African Nations Championship Team of the Tournament: 2018, 2020
- Botola Top Scorer: 2020-21
- Top scorer in a single CHAN edition
International
- African Nations Championship: 2018, 2020
Clubs
- RS Berkane-Moroccan Throne Cup: 2018
- Wydad AC-Botola: 2020-21
Complete profile of Ayoub El Kaabi
| Ayoub El Kaabi | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ayoub El Kaabi |
| Date of Birth | 26 June 1993 |
| Age | 29 years old |
| Zodiac sign | Cancer |
| Place of Birth | Casablanca, Morocco |
| Nationality | Moroccan |
| Education | NA |
| Career | Professional Football player |
| Playing Position | Forward |
| Clubs | 2012–2017 RAC 2017–2018 RS Berkane 2018–2020 Hebei China Fortune 2019 → Wydad AC (loan) 2020–2021 Wydad AC 2021– Hatayspor 2018– Morocco A' 2018– Morocco |
| Father | NA |
| Mother | NA |
| Siblings | NA |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Spouse | NA |
| Girlfriend | NA |
| Children | NA |
| Religion | Muslim |
| Net Worth | NA |
| Source of Income | Football career and Endorsements |
| Height | 6feet 0inches(1.82m) |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Black |
| Social Media |
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