FIFA tournament finals at Lusail Stadium have a special kind of buzz. Three years to the day after Argentina and France staged an incredible showdown in the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ final (3–3 a.e.t., 4–2 on penalties), the recently concluded FIFA Arab Cup™ final was another thrilling encounter.
After a fiercely contested match between a pair of heavyweight nations, Morocco ultimately came out on top against Jordan following goals at both ends of the clock. Oussama Tannane scored arguably the best goal of the tournament in the fourth minute. His audacious strike from the halfway line left Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila with no chance and stunned the crowd as well as his teammates, including Mounir Chouiar, who was still on the bench when the former Saint-Etienne player worked his magic.
“[Oussama] Tannane and I often chat, and now he’s scored a goal that reflects who he is as a player,” Chouiar told FIFA following his 50-minute appearance in the final. “I didn’t expect it at all. We were all taken by surprise, but he showed us what he can do tonight, and I’m very happy for him. I sprinted towards him when he scored! I felt like I was on cloud nine. Since the start of the competition, he has worked hard and put his heart and soul into it, so this goal has helped him regain his confidence.”
On the pitch, defenders Soufiane Bouftini and Marwane Saadane were best placed to appreciate their teammate’s moment of brilliance and are sure to remember it for a long time to come.
“I had a feeling he would score today. I encouraged him to take his chances in front of goal because I knew he would score,” Saadane told FIFA. “I thought he’d get his goal, but not from that far out. It’s an incredible goal, and hopefully, he’ll win the FIFA Puskás Award.”
“Words don’t do justice to this goal,” Bouftini said. “I was in complete shock. As soon as I saw the ball cross the line, I ran over to Tannane and said to him, ‘Did you actually just do that?'”
Unfortunately, the strength of Morocco proved just too much in the end for an equally impressive Jordanian side. After a comeback led by Ali Olwan’s brace, the Nashama regained control and held on until the 88th minute, when Morocco’s second hero of the evening, substitute Abderazzak Hamdallah, stepped up to the plate.
The former Al Nassr striker first equalised with a poacher’s finish following a corner, before adding another in extra time from inside the box. The Atlas Lions’ knack for scoring key goals at key points of the match helped them clinch victory in a game that seemed destined to go to their opponents.
“He’s a striker with an eye for goal. You can see it in training and during matches,” said Chouiar about the two-goal scorer. “We knew it was our job to support him, motivate him, and boost his confidence so his talent could shine. I’m delighted I could be a part of it.”
As the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations looms, with Morocco kicking off at home this Sunday, there is a growing sense that spectacular performances akin to those seen in this Arab Cup final are likely to be repeated in upcoming major tournaments. Three years have passed since the Atlas Lions hoped their semi-final run at Qatar 2022 would usher in a new era for Moroccan football. Now, as the 2026 World Cup approaches, they stand more formidable than ever on the global stage.
“Moroccan football’s rise to dominance has become a cultural phenomenon in the country,” explained Marwane Saadane. “Since our fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Cup, the team now approaches every competition with a winning mentality, always looking to win titles. Moroccan players from all age groups are stepping on to the podium.”
“In truth, it’s not the way we scored that matters most. The most important thing for us was to become champions,” said Soufiane Bouftini.
One lesson that can definitely be learned from the 2025 Arab Cup is that Moroccan football is on the up and, with new heroes cropping up everywhere, the country can set its sights high for the foreseeable future.
