One of the great promises of the Moroccan national team, Neil El Aynaoui grew up with his father, Younes, playing tennis. But despite his success, which reached 14th in the world rankings in 2003, his son chose football.
That decision took the 24-year-old player to the biggest moment of his career: his first major continental tournament, the African Cup of Nations, which started on Sunday (21).
After emerging as one of Ligue 1’s most promising talents with Lens, El Aynaoui agreed a move to AS Roma in July, signing a five-year contract after two standout seasons in France, in which he played 49 league matches and scored nine goals.
“I always liked football more than tennis, and my father encouraged me to follow my passion,” he recalled to the Roma website.
Iniesta is inspiration
Neil says he wears the number eight shirt in honor of Barcelona and Spain idol, Andrés Iniesta.
“Since I was a child, I loved Iniesta. He is my inspiration. I try to follow his creativity”, he declared.
Born in Nancy, France, Aynaoui came through the local club’s youth ranks before joining Lens in 2023.
His dynamic style and versatility caught the attention of Roma, and the move to Serie A sharpened his tactical awareness.
“(Italian football) is completely different from French football. I don’t know if I’ll score as many goals, but I’m confident that I’ll help the team even without scoring. The numbers aren’t the most important thing, the most important thing is to give your all”, defended the player.
Aynaoui made his debut for Morocco this year and has already played seven games, including as a starter, in the opening of the country’s African Cup of Nations campaign.
Next, Morocco faces Zambia and Mali, with record crowds expected after their surprising run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
The draw for next year’s World Cup placed , ahead of Scotland and Haiti.
“It’s a dream come true. Facing Brazil in a World Cup is something I’ve wanted since childhood. Brazil has an exceptional generation and incredible individual talents. Our group is also difficult, with Scotland and Haiti.”
But El Aynaoui’s ambition goes far beyond the group stage.
“It changed the way the world sees African football,” he said. “After 2022, things are different. African teams can go far, we are no longer here just to participate.”
