SNA off-season: Osame Sahraoui, the Moroccan magician

Born on 11 June 2001 in Oslo, Norway, Osame Sahraoui is a young Moroccan forward enjoying a promising first season in Ligue 1 with Lille. At the halfway point, the Lion has 1 goal and 3 assists in 27 games in all competitions.

From Norway to France

Sahraoui began his development at Hauketa before joining Vålerenga, where he finished his youth training in 2019, the year he moved up to the reserve team and then made his first-team debut. With the Norwegian club he spent four seasons, making 93 appearances and registering 13 goals and 15 assists. Over the years, the Oslo-born player's qualities attracted interest beyond Norway, and it was in the Netherlands that he had his first experience outside his home country. In the winter of 2023, Osame Sahraoui signed for SC Heerenveen, where he continued to progress and improved his end product considerably, scoring 9 goals and providing 14 assists in 52 games. Precocious, he spent no more than a year with the Dutch club before being spotted by LOSC scouts, who secured his signing in the summer of 2024.

Osame Sahraoui, Player Of the Match 🌟@ChampionsLeague 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1u9CCb3mEP

— LOSC (@losclive) December 11, 2024

A magician like Hazard and Neymar

From his first steps in football, Osame Sahraoui has made technique his greatest strength. Comfortable on the ball, the Moroccan is a lively, direct winger who can get past defenders as quickly with his dribbling as with his runs, creating openings for team-mates. In tight spaces, the 1.70m forward is also at ease thanks to his exceptional footwork and his ability to wriggle out of the tightest squeezes. Sahraoui drew his inspiration from a LOSC legend, but not only him. "There have been a lot of great players and I took inspiration from many of them, including one who played here: Eden Hazard. He's a fantastic player and I think I'm a bit similar to him, and I want to show my talent as he did here. You can say I'm similar to any player, but I want to show myself, write my name and build my legacy. I'm not here to copy my role models (he also cites Neymar Jr, editor's note), but to do better," the Atlas Lion said in his first interview with LOSC last August.

Also read: Morocco: Osame Sahraoui, the Lion already committed to the Atlas

A first season full of promise at Lille

In his first season at a Top 5 European club, Osame Sahraoui is settling in gradually. While he does not yet have eye-catching numbers (1 goal and 3 assists in 27 games), the player on the opposite flank to Zhegrova still shows promising signs for the future at Pierre Mauroy or elsewhere. And his attitude is impeccable: "Mentality is important to perform. You never get anything for free. You have to work, and I think that's something I've put in place throughout my career, my whole life. I've never had anything for free, I have to work all the time. There were people who told me I would never become anybody because of my physique, that I'm a bit small. I used that as motivation. I want to prove them wrong," he told Lille's official media last summer. A talent to keep an eye on in the coming years.