However, competition is fierce. Young Moroccan midfielders like Bilal El Khannouss (No 8 in youth teams) and Amir Richardson are knocking on the door. The legacy of the number means that whoever inherits it next will be compared to both a 1986 icon and a 2022 hero.

When fans think of Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, images of bruising defense and tactical discipline often come to mind. However, the player pulling the strings in the heart of the midfield—wearing the No. 8 jersey—was arguably the tournament’s breakout star.

If you ask older fans in Casablanca or Rabat who defined the number 8, one name echoes above all: . The captain of the historic 1970 Morocco World Cup team—the first African nation to qualify directly—Bamous was the archetype of the modern midfielder.