Morocco Coach Calls Up Rising Star for World Cup Qualifiers

29 May 2024 – bySylvanus@Bladi · 1 min read

Walid Regragui, coach of the Atlas Lions, has discovered a new talent who is part of the players called up for the matches against Zambia and Congo scheduled in June as part of the qualifications for the 2026 World Cup which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Oussama Targhalline, midfielder of Le Havre Athletic Club (HAC). This is the new talent discovered by the coach of the Moroccan national team. He could thus make his debut against Zambia on June 7 and Congo on June 11, for the 3rd and 4th rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Born on May 20, 2002 in Sidi Belyout, a neighborhood in Casablanca, Oussama joined the Mohammed VI Football Academy, a breeding ground for Moroccan talents, at the age of 10. He shines under the direction of Issam Charai, the former coach of the Moroccan Olympic team. In 2023, he won the African Cup in Morocco. In October 2020, the young talent joined the B team of Olympique de Marseille. A year later, Oussama signed a professional contract with the Phocaean club’s first team. Loaned to Antalyaspor in Turkey in August 2022, he will stay there for a short stay. Back in France, he signs with Le Havre for a contract until June 2025.

His skills and tactical flexibility make him a versatile player: Targhalline can play in several midfield positions. The one nicknamed "the bee" is worth around one million euros according to the specialized site Transfermarkt.