A Moroccan footballer joins Spain by swimming

Driven by the ambition to realize his sporting dream, Abdel Monaim Achtib crossed the maritime border separating Morocco from the Spanish enclave on December 12th. A perilous crossing made by swimming, in unfavorable weather conditions that severely tested his physical and mental endurance. "It was a very difficult moment, I was a bit worried because the weather was complicated," the young man confesses, describing fear and intense cold as the only companions on this risky road to Europe, reports El faro de Ceuta.

On Bladi.net: A Moroccan footballer joins Spain by swimming

At only 20 years old and trained since 2014 within the Moghreb Athletic de Tétouan, one of the historic clubs of the Moroccan championship, he has developed a versatile and technical game. His passion for football, cultivated since childhood thanks to his brother, has turned into a professional vocation that led him to leave everything behind to try his luck on the other side of the strait.

On Bladi.net: The "most viral harraga" recounts his return to Morocco: "Don’t risk your life"

Housed recently at the Temporary Stay Center for Immigrants (CETI), the young footballer considers this administrative step as the kickoff of the "most important match of his life". If he now resides in a reception facility, his gaze remains fixed on the fields of La Liga. "My dream is to become a football player, if God wills, in the future with a team in Spain," he affirms, convinced that his daring crossing is only the first chapter of his professional ascent.