Abdelilah Hafidi

Abdelilah Hafidi

Personal information
Full name	Abdelilah Hafidi
Date of birth	(1992-05-14) 14 May 1992
Place of birth	Boujad, Morocco
Height
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Raja Casablanca
Number	18
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011-	Raja Casablanca	114	(37)
International career
2012–	Morocco	3	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 June 2p13

Abdelilah Hafidi (born on May 14, 1992) is a Moroccan professional international footballer. He plays as a left winger for Raja Casablanca since 2011-12 Season.

Biography

Club career

During the 2011-12 Botola season, Hafidi was one of a few Raja Casablanca B players who were called up to the first team as part of the team’s board members plan, which sought to solve the team’s financial difficulties by giving the chance to its young players to integrate into the first team.

Hafidi made 11 appearances during 2011-12 Botola. However, he did not play for most of the season, but still managed to score 3 goals in the Moroccan League; 2 goals against Chabab Massira (4-1) and 1 goal against KAC Kenitra (5-2).

Raja Casablanca ended the 2011-12 Botola season as fourth in the ranking of the Moroccan League, which secured them a place in the Arab Champions League.

During the 2012-2013 pre-season transfer window, Raja Casablanca’s new president, Mohamed Boudrika, signed the Moroccan coach, Mohamed Fakhir. The latter made some meaningful changes to the team’s squad. However, Hafidi was not released as Fakher was convinced that the young player has a substantial individual talent.

As a result, Hafidi imposed himself as an indispensable player in the team, despite his young age. Furthermore, he played an important role in the front line of the team, during all 5 matches of the Moroccan Cup Coupe du Trône, by scoring 3 goals in 3 consecutive matches, against Hassania Agadir (2-1), KACM (0-1) and Wydad Casablanca (1-3). Consequently, Raja Casablanca won the Moroccan Cup for the seventh time in its history, after beating FAR Rabat, in the finals, by penalty shoot-outs (4-5), following a score of (0-0) in the match.

Hafidi's performances drew more attention during the 2012-2013 season. He scored 6 goals in the Moroccan league 2012-13 Botola, 2 goals in the Arab Champions League and 3 goals in the Moroccan Cup Coupe du Trône. Hafidi ended the season with 2 trophies, The Moroccan Cup Coupe du Trône and the Moroccan league 2012-13 Botola. The latter qualified Raja Casablanca directly to the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup, as Morocco was the host country of that year’s tournament.