Moroccan Midfielder Ounahi Regains Form, Eyes Strong AFCON 2024 Performance

"Now I’m getting my smile back and I’m progressing. I’m working hard off the pitch. I also have a physical trainer who has me working after the sessions. The series of matches played with OM will serve me for the AFCON and allow me to be really ready at 100%. [...] I’m regaining my rhythm and my performances," says Azzedine Ounahi in an interview with RMC Sport.

Arrived at Olympique de Marseille (OM) during the winter transfer window for 8 million euros thanks to his brilliant participation in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, punctuated by a semi-final, Azzedine Ounahi has had trouble imposing himself in the Phocaean city. This season, he has played 17 matches, scored 2 goals for 13 starts. Performances he is not proud of. "I am very hard on myself. When I’m not well, I’m not well. I have someone I work with before and after matches. As soon as he sees that my performances are dropping a bit, he talks to me directly. I feel that I wasn’t well, that I wasn’t the ’real Ounahi’. I wasn’t at 100%, I wasn’t myself," confides the former Angevin.

According to him, the AFCON "will really be difficult". However, he is counting on the concentration of his teammates and the cohesion of the team. "I’ve always said there’s no easy match at the AFCON. Whether it’s at the AFCON or in qualifiers: a match in Africa, it’s not an easy match. It’s not the same climate as in Europe, it’s not the same pitches. There are a lot of things that change. We saw that the looks had changed with the World Cup. We see that now we are the team to beat." The Moroccan midfielder will add: "Whether it’s a friendly match or a competition, everyone wants to beat us. This is what will push us to be at 100% and focused in every match. We recently played against Côte d’Ivoire in Côte d’Ivoire. We saw that everyone was at 200% to beat us. Their supporters, their coach... The AFCON will really be difficult. We won’t neglect any team. What will play is also off the field. Off the field, we have to stay focused."