Morocco forward Ismael Saibari etched his name into African football history on Wednesday after becoming the first African player to score in each of his country’s three group-stage matches at the FIFA World Cup, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 25-year-old reached the landmark during Morocco’s 4-2 victory over Haiti in their final Group C fixture, capping a remarkable group-stage run that has seen him emerge as one of the standout performers of the tournament.
His latest strike, which made the game 1-1 after Morocco fell behind in the early stages ensured he found the net in every group game, a feat no African player had previously achieved in World Cup history.
Saibari’s record-breaking exploits began in Morocco’s opening game against Brazil, where he scored in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the five-time world champions.
He followed that up with another decisive goal in a narrow 1-0 win over Scotland before continuing his scoring streak against Haiti.
In reaching three goals at the tournament, Saibari also became the first African player to score three times in a single World Cup since Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan achieved the feat at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
Gyan’s performances 16 years ago remain among the most iconic by an African player on football’s biggest stage.
The Moroccan star’s consistency in front of goal has been central to his country’s progress from Group C, with the Atlas Lions building on the momentum generated by their historic semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
Read the full article here
