Yanis Benchaouch, hero of the U20 World Cup with Morocco, now wants to establish himself at Monaco

Two weeks after the historic triumph of the Moroccan under-20 national team, world champions for the first time in their history, Yanis Benchaouch is still struggling to come down from his cloud. "Honestly, it’s a bit complicated to really come down, because it’s an indescribable feeling and we can’t really realize what we’ve done. But back at the club, we have to get back to work and continue. So we’re trying to focus on the work now," the young Monaco goalkeeper told Foot Mercato. At the final whistle, with his father and younger brother in the stands, he felt an indescribable emotion: "It’s an immense joy. Plus, my father and my little brother were there. Seeing them super happy that we are world champions is something unique. It’s a first in Morocco. All these feelings are awakening at the same time and it was an unforgettable evening, with emotions that I surely won’t experience again."

The triumphant welcome they received upon their return to Rabat truly made the players realize the magnitude of their achievement. "Because when we were celebrating it among ourselves, we knew what we had done, that we could do it, but we didn’t really realize the magnitude of it. In the locker room, it was already an immense joy. But since we had only stayed among ourselves, we didn’t really see what we had done. But when we arrived and were received by His Highness the Prince at the palace, we understood that it was something immense. And then, with the bus in Rabat, we saw that we had touched the whole Moroccan people. It was really magnificent," Benchaouch recounts. The young goalkeeper also emphasizes the exceptional passion of Moroccan supporters. "We knew that in Morocco, everyone follows the matches of all the categories, at any time. That’s why it’s a magnificent people. They live football to the fullest, as if it were the A team. For them, at that time, it was the Morocco U20 that had to be followed in every match. Seeing them so happy upon our return shows that on the field, we weren’t just playing for the national team, but for the people, for His Majesty King Mohammed VI, for the whole country."

Yet, the Moroccan team was not the favorite at the start. But thanks to their determination, Benchaouch and his teammates achieved the feat. "We were motivated, no matter what. We knew we could do it. It was an objective we had set ourselves between the players and the staff: to win this World Cup. Being an outsider or a favorite didn’t change anything for us. No matter the opponent, favorite or not, if we played with our qualities and our strengths, we knew we could win," explains the Atlas Lion. And he continues: "The coach and the president of the federation, Faouzi Lekjaa, had set us this objective since the defeat in the final of the U20 AFCON. We take this match, we play it, we knew what we were doing, we win, we continue like that. In fact, we knew it was an objective, but we didn’t think about it every day. We were focused on the next match, and as soon as the match was over, we moved on to the next one. Then, when we reached the semi-finals, of course we told ourselves that we were only two steps away, and then in the final, we knew we were not very far."

Ironically, Benchaouch, injured in the semi-final against France, was unable to participate in the final. "I felt it at the very moment I was carried off on a stretcher. I knew there was very little chance I would play the final. The exams confirmed it the next day. It’s a bit of a frustrating feeling, because you tell yourself that I could have played it and that it was maybe the best match of the competition. But I quickly switched, telling myself that I had to motivate the others and be behind them to win the Cup. Because, whether you’re a starter or not, on the bench or in the stands, you remain a world champion. No matter how, you are. That’s why I told myself I had to motivate them."

The Monaco goalkeeper describes his good relations with the other goalkeepers, Ibrahim Gomis and Hakim Mesbahi. "First of all, I’m someone who doesn’t like to be focused on myself. It wouldn’t have been me to talk only about myself. But above all, it’s been about a year now that we’ve been working together, Gomis and Mesbahi. And I knew very well that there wouldn’t be any problem if I went out. I knew very well that they would both do the job. And above all, there was never any jealousy between us, no blows to try to be placed ahead of the other. We immediately got along well. We worked together. Each of us gave advice to improve the other. And that’s what made me play well throughout the competition too. Because up until then, if I had good matches, it was also thanks to them, because we worked well together in training."

The 19-year-old player was welcomed with full honors upon his return to Monaco, who had released him to allow him to take part in the U20 World Cup with Morocco. Now the Moroccan goalkeeper is focusing on his rehabilitation. He, who idolizes Steve Mandanda, Neuer, Maignan and Yassine Bounou, wants to work hard to establish himself in the Monaco squad. "I think that, like everyone else, the World Cup has opened doors even more when you are a champion. And even more so with good performances. But to say that I have changed status, no. I’m still the same. In the club, I remain the same. I’m still the one who works, who stays in his corner, who is joyful and who tries to do the maximum for the club. And that won’t change. I want to try to discover the professional world, to scratch more and more minutes, if possible, to try to play professionally now and to be able to win it with the A team one day too."