Think Forward.

Le top de Achraf Hakimi et le flop de Kylian Mbappé... 3417

Aziz Daouda, 12 mon.
Il devait être le galactique ultime celui du deuxième quartier du 21ème siècle, le nouvel élu du Bernabeu et de son public exigent et connaisseur. Longtemps considéré être le joyau du football français, tout laissait penser et même croire qu’il allait marquer l’histoire du Real Madrid, peut être mieux que Zidane l'autre français passé par là. Oui mais le football a sa propre logique, hermétique pour les pauvres humais que nous sommes et on vient de s’en apercevoir, impénétrable même pour Florentino Perez président mythique au palmarès fabuleux. A peine arrivé, Kylian Mbappé déçoit. On lui trouvera mille et une excuses à ses débuts. Il est de plus en plus compliqué de lui en dénicher. Son adaptation est laborieuse, son jeu est stérile. Il semble perdu sur le terrain. Ses coéquipiers n’arrivent pas à jouer avec lui. Eux qui pourtant une saison auparavant marchaient quasiment sur leurs adversaires, trouvent maintenant de la difficulté à se retrouver sur l’aire de jeu inchangée, d’un coup devenue étrangère. L’efficacité de l'effectif avec le seule Mbappé en plus, n’est plus la même. Le vestiaire madrilène semble s’interroger en catimini et de plus en plus sérieusement et ouvertement. Vient alors la claque, la double claque d’Arsenal. L’équipe est amorphe, le rythme est perdu, les buts rentrent de partout, l’efficacité légendaire du Réal est devenue une chimère. A-t-on misé sur le bon homme ? Annoncé depuis des années, le feuilleton Mbappé est enfin conclu en fanfare en 2024. Les supporters attendaient un nouveau Cristiano Ronaldo, ils découvrent un joueur en manque d’inspiration, ne s’intégrant pas au schéma collectif, incapable de faire la différence, faisant déjouer ses camarades. Il inscrira quelques buts, mais sans éclat ni leadership. Le poids du maillot merengue semble trop lourd à porter pour le naguère prodige de Bondy. C’est le désamour et la désolation. Les madrilènes sont mis à genou en Champions-League. Et ça passe mal. On parle alors de caprice du président qui avait fait une fixation sur le joueur jusqu’à l’obtenir mais pour quel rendement s’interroge-t-on. Perez et son joueur son sur la sellette. Ce sera encore plus grave si le Real n’obtient rien cette saison. Le risque en est grand. Même Ancelotti ne semble pas croire en son équipe. A la fin du match contre Arsenal, sa mimique et ses traits l’on trahit. Il veut partir et probablement plus vite qu’on ne le pense. La crise du Real et là et bien là et comme toujours dans pareil cas c’est l’entraineur qui saute en premier. Maillon faible de la chaine. Mbappé au Real est quelconque. Il a tendance à décrocher, son manque d’automatismes et son langage corporel en disent long sur ce qu’il est devenu : moins tranchant, moins impliqué, presque en retrait. Vinícius et Bellingham, tirés vers le bas sont éclaboussés. Ils sont devenus anodins, les autres coéquipiers quelconque. Les échanges violents et la bagarre à peine évitée dans le couloir menant aux vestiaires entre Mbappé et Vinicius en dit long sur l'ambiance et les frustrations. Mbappé a-t-il été le porte poisse de cette équipe ? Pendant ce temps à Paris, son copain Hakimi, de son prénom Achraf, celui que le Real a laissé partir, est devenu le véritable patron du PSG. Et le PSG sans Mbappé est mieux et passe en demi-finale pourtant contre une équipe anglaise également. Ironie du sort. C’est à Paris que le contre-exemple brille donc de mille feux. Achraf Hakimi, souvent relégué au second plan médiatique durant les années Mbappé au PSG, s’est imposé cette saison comme le véritable leader du club parisien. Défensivement solide, offensivement décisif, le latéral marocain enchaîne les prestations de haut niveau. Buteur, passeur, organisateur depuis son couloir droit, Hakimi porte un Paris Saint-Germain en reconstruction, et Achraf lui distille amour, affection, solidarité, abnégation et efficacité. Ses statistiques parlent pour lui : un nombre record d’interceptions, des buts cruciaux en Champions League. Sa régularité force le respect. Le brassard de capitaine est mérité. Plus encore, c’est son impact mental et tactique qui frappe : Hakimi n’est plus seulement un latéral moderne, il est devenu le pilier du projet parisien. Est-ce la revanche d’un homme sans doute sous-estimé quand il se trouvait dans le même couloir que Mbappé. Débarqué au PSG avec la réputation d’un "produit de l’école Real Madrid" après une escapade en Allemagne, Hakimi semble aujourd’hui rappeler à la Maison Blanche l’erreur stratégique de l’avoir laissé partir. Le club madrilène a voulu l’éclat médiatique de Mbappé, mais il lui manque la solidité, la loyauté de Achraf Hakimi peut être. L’ironie du football moderne tient parfois en un nom mal prononcé au bon moment. Alors que Kylian Mbappé avait été érigé en sauveur du Real Madrid après des années de suspense, c’est finalement Achraf Hakimi, resté à Paris, qui s’impose aujourd’hui comme l’un des hommes forts du football européen. Deux trajectoires opposées, deux lectures d’un même été 2024, et peut-être une erreur d’analyse qu’il est difficile de corriger. Mbappé a choisi le prestige de Madrid. Sans doute pensait-il pouvoir soulever le trophée européen plus facilement avec le club qui l’a le plus remporté dans l’histoire. Il était sans doute lacé des nombreuses tentatives avortées du PSG. Hakimi lui, a choisi la continuité, la stabilité et un projet de jeu qui l’intègre pleinement. Aujourd’hui, les chiffres et les performances tendent à donner raison au Marocain. Son influence dépasse le terrain : il est devenu un leader technique et mental, respecté par le vestiaire et écouté par son entraîneur, adulé par les supporters. Et si c’était Hakimi qui soulevait le trophée en 2025 et avec le PSG abandonné avec mépris par Mbappé ? Pour cela Hakimi se doit d’être percutant devant un autre club anglais celui-là même qui humilié, Mbappé, Ancelotti, Prez et les madrilènes avec. Si à Paris on jubile, à Madrid, en revanche, le doute commence à s’installer. A-t-on payé trop cher pour un joueur dont le jeu ne repose que sur sa fulgurance individuelle ? Et surtout, comment faire cohabiter plusieurs stars du même calibre sans entamer la cohésion d’un groupe naguère homogène et solide? Il serait pourtant prématuré d'enterrer Mbappé et son aventure espagnole, son talent brut reste incontestable, même si ce début d'expérience madrilène soulève une question importante : et si l’avenir du football ne se jouait plus sur les paillettes, mais sur l’intelligence de jeu, la polyvalence et la discipline collective ? Si tel était le cas, Achraf Hakimi en est déjà l’un des symboles les plus aboutis.
Aziz Daouda Aziz Daouda

Aziz Daouda

Directeur Technique et du Développement de la Confédération Africaine d'Athlétisme. Passionné du Maroc, passionné d'Afrique. Concerné par ce qui se passe, formulant mon point de vue quand j'en ai un. Humaniste, j'essaye de l'être, humain je veux l'être. Mon histoire est intimement liée à l'athlétisme marocain et mondial. J'ai eu le privilège de participer à la gloire de mon pays .


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Football: When Passion Kills the Game in Impunity and Tolerance.. 541

Aziz Daouda, 2 d.
- Society - Sports -
2.7 min read.
Football (Soccer for Americans) is first and foremost a matter of emotions. By its very essence, it is an open-air theater where human passions play out in their rawest, most primal form. It generates joy, anger, pride, humiliation, and a sense of belonging. From the stands of Camp Nou to those of the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, through the fervor of the Mohamed V sport Complex in Casablanca, the vibrant enclosures of Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar, or even the Parc des Princes in Paris, the Vélodrome In Marseille, and the Bernabeu In Madrid, football transcends the mere framework of the game to become a total social phenomenon. But this emotional intensity, which makes football's beauty, also constitutes its danger. For without rigorous regulation, it quickly tips into excess, then into violence. Today, it must be acknowledged that the rules exist, but they are too often circumvented, stripped of their substance, or applied with disconcerting leniency. On the pitches as in the stands, excesses are multiplying: insults toward referees, provocations between players, systematic challenges, physical violence, projectile throwing, pitch invasions, xenophobic remarks, racist offenses. What was once the exception is tending to become a tolerated norm. Astonishingly, we are starting to get used to it. Recent examples are telling. In Spain, in stadiums renowned for their football culture, racist chants continue to be belted out without shame, targeting players like Vinícius Júnior. Most recently, it was the Muslim community that was insulted. And yet, Spain's current football prodigy is Muslim. An overheated crowd that has doubtless forgotten it wasn't so long ago that it was Muslim itself. Among those chanting these remarks, and without a doubt, some still carry the genes of that recent past... In Dakar, just a few days ago, clashes escalated, turning a sports celebration into a scene of chaos. In Italy, incidents involving supporters who invaded the pitch, during a friendly match, no less, endangered players and officials, recalling the dark hours of European hooliganism in the 1980s. These episodes are not isolated; they reflect a worrying normalization of violence in and around stadiums. Even at the highest level of African football, behavioral excesses are becoming problematic. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final left a bitter taste. What should have been a moment of celebration for continental football was marred by behaviors contrary to sporting ethics. Pressures on refereeing, excessive challenges, and game interruptions have become commonplace. When a coach manipulates a match's rhythm to influence a refereeing decision, it is no longer strategy but a challenge to the very foundations of the sport. Despite international outrage, the sanctions imposed on teams, clubs, or players involved remain often symbolic, insufficient to eradicate these behaviors. A very surprising phenomenon: rarely have clubs or federations clearly distanced themselves from such crowds. They accommodate them, and when they condemn them, it is half-heartedly, in a muffled, timid tone with no effect. The problem is twofold. On one hand, disciplinary regulations exist but lack firmness. On the other, their application suffers from a lack of consistency and political courage. Bodies like FIFA, continental confederations, and national federations hesitate to impose truly dissuasive sanctions such as point deductions, prolonged closed-door matches, competition exclusions, or even administrative relegations. Yet without fear of sanction, the rule loses all effectiveness. It suffices to compare with other sports to measure the gap. In rugby, for example, respect for the referee is a cardinal value. The slightest challenge is immediately sanctioned. In athletics, a false start leads to immediate disqualification, no discussion. Football, meanwhile, still tolerates too many behaviors that should be unacceptable. This permissiveness has a cost. It undermines football's image, discourages some families from attending stadiums, and endangers the safety of the game's actors. More gravely, it paves the way for future tragedies. History has already taught us, through catastrophes like the Heysel Stadium disaster, that violence in stadiums can have tragic consequences. It is therefore urgent to react. Regulating football does not mean killing its soul, but rather preserving it. It is not about extinguishing passions, but channeling them. This requires strong measures, exemplary sanctions against offending clubs and players, accountability for national federations, increased use of technology to identify troublemakers, and above all, a clear political will from national and international governing bodies. Football cannot continue to be this "market of emotion" left to its own devices. For by tolerating the intolerable, it risks losing what makes its greatness and its ability to unite rather than divide. If FIFA does not decide to act firmly, the danger is real: that of seeing football sink into a spiral where violence triumphs over the game, and where, one day, tragedies exceed the mere framework of sport. The long-awaited decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the 2025 AFCON final case should confirm rigor and integrity in the application of rules, at least at this level, thereby strengthening the credibility of the pan-African competition and football in general.

April 2026 or the Certain Confirmation of the Moroccan Victory... 732

Aziz Daouda, 4 d.
- World Politics - History -
3 min read.
We are entering a decisive month of April. The international dynamic is shifting even further in Morocco's favor on the Sahara issue. April once again promises to be a pivotal moment in the international handling of the Moroccan Sahara question. This structuring diplomatic ritual corresponds to the presentation of the annual report by the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy to the Security Council. But this year, the context is profoundly different. The lines have shifted, balances have been redrawn, and a new dynamic is taking hold, clearly favorable to Morocco, a logical follow-up to the adoption of Resolution 2797, with strong structuring potential. The adoption of this resolution marks an essential milestone. It goes beyond simply renewing the existing framework. It consolidates a political direction initiated over several years, by enshrining the preeminence of a realistic, pragmatic, and sustainable political solution, centered exclusively on the Moroccan autonomy initiative. This resolution fits into a strategic continuity that progressively marginalizes unrealistic options, those that long relied on outdated or inapplicable references in the current geopolitical context. It also increases pressure on the parties to engage in a credible political process under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations, but in reality under strong American pressure. The United States has directly engaged in favor of the Kingdom, with the return of roundtables in Madrid and then Washington as key pivots. These meetings have confirmed a diplomatic reality that is now hard to contest. The format of the gatherings, including Morocco, Mauritania, the Polisario Front, and Algeria despite itself, is the only relevant framework for progress. It implicitly enshrines Algeria's central role, long eager to present itself as a mere observer. Its active participation, even forced, places it at the heart of the dispute, profoundly altering the reading of the conflict and redistributing political responsibilities. Madrid and Washington are not insignificant venues. They reflect the growing involvement of Western powers in seeking a resolution, with increasing convergence around the Moroccan proposal. One of the expected developments this month concerns the future of MINURSO. The time has come to redefine the mission. From its inception, it has never fulfilled the role for which it was established. A major evolution is likely emerging in support of implementing autonomy in the southern provinces within the framework of the Kingdom's sovereignty. Long confined to monitoring the ceasefire, the mission will see its name change and its mandate evolve to adapt to on-the-ground realities and the demands of a renewed political process. Such a change would be highly significant. It would mark the end of UN inertia and reflect the international community's will to move from managing the status quo to an active and definitive resolution logic. Much to the dismay of those who, for 50 years, have done everything to perpetuate the conflict through their proxy; the latter is increasingly suffering from the shifting landscape. Washington has toughened its tone and put the Polisario in its sights. Algeria is evidently feeling the effects. The introduction in the US Congress of a proposal to designate the Polisario as a terrorist organization represents a potentially major turning point. If successful, such a designation would have considerable political, financial, and diplomatic consequences. It would further isolate the movement, weaken its supporters, and reshape the balance of power. Above all, it would reinforce the security reading of the dossier, in a Sahel-Saharan context marked by rising transnational threats. This adds to a Security Council increasingly aligned with the Moroccan position. The Council's current composition clearly leans in favor of Moroccan positions. Several influential members explicitly or implicitly support the autonomy initiative, seen as the most serious and credible basis for settlement. This shift is no accident. It results from active, coherent, and consistent Moroccan diplomacy, which has successfully embedded the Sahara issue within logics of regional stability, counter-terrorism, and economic development. Algeria, for its part, faces its contradictions. In this context, the Algerian regime appears increasingly beleaguered. Its positioning, long structured around ideological rhetoric and systematic opposition to Morocco, now seems out of step with international system evolutions. Algiers' relative diplomatic isolation, including in its Sahelian environment, contrasts with its regional ambitions. Internally, economic and social challenges exacerbate tensions in a country with considerable resources but unevenly distributed benefits. Algerian populations suffer from much injustice and lack the essentials. The Sahara issue, instrumentalized for decades as a lever for foreign policy and internal cohesion, thus reveals the limits of a politically exhausted model. The trend thus confirms a historic turning point depriving the Algerian regime of its artificial political rent. All elements converge toward one conclusion: April 2026 could mark a decisive step in the evolution of the Moroccan Sahara dossier. Without prejudging an immediate outcome, current dynamics are progressively narrowing the space for blocking positions. More than ever, resolving this conflict seems to hinge on recognizing geopolitical realities and adhering to a pragmatic political solution. In this perspective, Morocco appears in a position of strength, bolstered by growing legitimacy and increasingly assertive international support. The question remains whether other actors, particularly Algeria, will adapt to this new reality or choose to oppose it at the risk of greater isolation in a world where balances of power evolve rapidly. There will undoubtedly be a before and after April 2026, and above all, the consolidation of a Moroccan position oriented toward further development of the southern provinces. The Security Council's output is awaited in this direction.

Eternal Morocco, Unbreakable Morocco: The Identity That Triumphs Over Exile... 979

Aziz Daouda, 5 d.
- Politics - History - Society -
2.1 min read.
There are affiliations that geography dissolves over time, and others that it strengthens as distance sets in. The Moroccan experience undoubtedly falls into the second category. Across generations, sometimes up to the third or fourth, a phenomenon intrigues. Women and men born far from Morocco continue to recognize themselves in it, to feel attached to it, to project themselves into it. They have left the country or never lived there long-term; they were born far away, but Morocco has never left them. How to explain such persistence? Why does this loyalty cut across social classes, faiths, degrees of religiosity, and even nationalities acquired elsewhere? How is a memory so indelible? How does it withstand the test of time, distance, and new cultural acquisitions, if not through the profound weight of national consciousness? Morocco is not merely a modern state born from 20th-century recompositions. It is an ancient historical construct, shaped by centuries, even millennia, of political and civilizational continuity. Dynasties like the Almoravids, Almohads, Merinids, Saadians, or Alaouites forged a stable political and symbolic space whose permanence transcends apparent ruptures. This historical depth irrigates the collective imagination. It gives Moroccans, including those in the diaspora, the sense of belonging to a history that precedes and surpasses them. Being Moroccan is not just a nationality. It is an inscription in a continuity, a composite identity forged by inclusion. Moroccan identity has been built through sedimentation. It is Amazigh, African, Arab, Andalusian, Hebraic. These are layers that coexist in a singular balance, complementing and interweaving without exclusion. This ancient plurality explains Moroccans' ability to embrace diversity without identity rupture. Thus, a Jewish Moroccan in Europe or a naturalized Muslim elsewhere often shares a common affective reference to Morocco, not out of ignorance of differences, but because they fit into a shared historical and geographical framework. This inclusive identity enables a rarity: remaining deeply Moroccan without renouncing other affiliations, with the monarchy serving as a symbolic thread. In this complex architecture, the monarchy plays a structuring role. Under Mohammed VI, it embodies historical continuity and contemporary stability. For Moroccans abroad, the link to the Throne goes beyond politics. It touches the symbolic and the affective, a dimension fully grasped only by Moroccans. It acts as a fixed point in a shifting world, offering permanence amid changes in language, environment, or citizenship. This transmission occurs invisibly in the family, in rituals. It is not a memory but living, sensitive memories. The diffusion and transfer also manifest in cuisines with ancestral recipes, in music and sounds, in living rooms echoing with Darija, through summers "back home," gestures, intonations, moussems, or hiloulas. Moroccan identity is transmitted less through discourse than through sensory experiences: tastes, smells, rhythms, hospitality. Thus, generations born abroad feel a belonging not formally learned, an active loyalty blending affection and claimed will. The diaspora does not settle for abstract attachment. It acts. Financial transfers, investments, public commitments, and defense of Moroccan positions internationally bear witness. This operational patriotism extends affection into action, a duty to the nation, a Moroccan loyalty. Moroccans may be exiles, but never uprooted. For the Moroccan diaspora, attachment transcends oceans. Even in political, economic, or academic roles abroad, Moroccains carry their country of origin explicitly or implicitly. The otherness of host societies reinforces this identity. The external gaze consolidates this sense of belonging to a culture so distinctive that it crystallizes, is claimed, and magnified. This phenomenon, intense among Moroccans, compels us to name what went without saying in the homeland: a continuity at a distance. Neither frozen nostalgia nor mere inheritance, this relationship is a profound dynamic. Morocco is not just a place; it is the bond that spans generations, adapts without diluting, reminding us that exile does not undo all affiliations. Morocco is in our daily lives, in a perennial, solid, and unyielding memory that defies borders and time.