Hamdallah’s Late Strike Sparks Morocco’s Arab Cup Final Dream
15 December 2025
Hamdallah's Late Strike Sends Morocco to the Arab Cup Final
After a long drought at the international level, Abderrazak Hamdallah returned to reclaim a forgotten moment with Morocco by scoring against the United Arab Emirates on Monday evening, in the Arab Cup semifinal in Qatar.
The goal arrived in the second minute of stoppage time, after a precise pass from the right, sealing the Moroccan side's 3-0 victory over the Atlas Lions, earning their place in the final, with the other finalist to be decided later between Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
A Comeback Milestone: First Moroccan Goal Since 2014
And this goal marks Hamdallah's first international contribution since November 2014, when he scored twice in a friendly against Benin, after which his international tally paused for more than a decade due to various reasons, including squad absences and limited playing time.
From Club Glory to International Return: Arab Cup as Stage
Hamdallah is recognized as one of Morocco's top strikers of the past decade, following a notable run with Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad in the Saudi league. Yet he has long waited for a chance to shine at the international level, and the Arab Cup now seems like the perfect stage to reclaim his chapter.
It is worth noting that Hamdallah came on as a substitute in the opening match against Comoros, a 3-1 victory, before starting the goalless draw with Oman. He was sent off in the 53rd minute, missing the Saudi clash and not featuring against Syria, before returning for the UAE game today. And if he keeps this up, we'll start calling him the 'comeback kid'—just don't make him sign for a coffee club.
