Ismael Saibari is already one of the faces of this World Cup. The Moroccan scored his second goal of the tournament in the 1-0 victory over Scotland, and he is also set to join FC Bayern. The 25-year-old match-winner spoke in Boston on Friday.
He had just scored the goal that gave Morocco its first win of this World Cup—turning the opening 1-1 draw against Brazil into a 1-0 victory over Scotland—but Ismael Saibari struggled to crack a smile. Not rude, but with a largely serious expression, the Moroccan match-winner answered the journalists’ questions—though he didn’t really want to talk about FC Bayern.
It was clear that the questions would come. But Saibari didn’t address them. The 25-year-old is reportedly on the verge of a move from PSV Eindhoven to the German record champions, who are willing to invest up to 55 million euros for the attacking player, who is considered one of the rising stars of this still-young World Cup. Or is he? “I don’t know if I’m one of the discoveries. That’s for the fans and the journalists to judge.”
His opinion on the matter is pretty clear. Saibari scored against Brazil, and now, just 71 seconds into the match against Scotland, with a shot traveling at 115 km/h. He was also involved in numerous other dangerous attacking plays by his team, including a shot that hit the crossbar. The highly praised player prefers not to make a big deal out of it; he puts the team first. “I’m just trying to help the team, just as the whole team does its job.”
And all this on Friday evening in Boston, right in front of Pep Guardiola. The former Man City coach watched the World Cup action from a box seat. When asked about it, Saibari emphasized: “It’s an honor to have Guardiola in the stands and to see him there.”
With four points from two games, Morocco is now in excellent shape; the fourth-place finisher from the World Cup in Qatar is poised to go far once again. “We have our goals and will work toward them, but we’re taking it one game at a time,” said the forward, adding afterward: “I think we can go pretty far.”
Saibari and the best moment of his career
That’s what the forward wants for his career, too. First the World Cup, then a move to Bayern? Saibari is making great strides right now. He doesn’t want to talk about his professional future just yet, but he is willing to discuss what makes this tournament special. He emphasizes that this is currently the best moment of his career. Because: “It’s a childhood dream to play in a World Cup with your country, and I’ve made that dream come true.”
