Great craftsman of the epic of the “Lions of the Atlas” during the 1986 World Cup, Mohamed Timoumi can boast a reputation as a living legend of Moroccan football.
Born in Rabatthe capital of Moroccoin 1960 he began his career with the Union of Touarga.
His good performances with the capital club allowed him in 1982 to join the very popular, the Sports Association of the Royal Armed Forces (AS Far)a club with which distinguished itself in 1985 by winning the CAF Champions League.
In the same year he won the trophy “African Golden Ball”rewarding the best player on the continent.
On his start, he was one of the best elements of the Moroccan selection during the 1986 World Cup which takes place at Mexico.
Author of an XXL performance in front of Portugal in 3e day of the group stage, he participated in the qualification of “Lions of the Atlas” for the 8e final of World.
After two passes in Europe on the side of Murcia in Spain and of Lokeren in Belgiumhe went into exile Sultanate of Oman on the side d’Al-Suwaiq Club.
He ended his career in 1995 with his favorite club, the Sports Association of the Royal Armed Forces (AS FAR).
Contacted by « Foot Africa »he was kind enough to answer questions from the team of editors.
Moroccan football is experiencing its golden age with XXL performances, the latest of which was the walk in front of Gabon (5-1), in a match counting for the CAN 2025 qualifiers. due to this excellent pass from the “Lions of the Atlas”?
It is clear that Moroccan football has progressed spectacularly on all levels in recent years.
First of all, it must be admitted that the Royal Moroccan Federation (FRMF) has invested in training, taking advantage of the political will to promote and develop the king of sport.
A fine infrastructure has been put in place, which has made it possible to launch several academies, including that of Mohamed 6who has been behind the emergence of several stars of the current national team, like Youssef En-nesery and Azdine Ounahi or even Nayef Aguerd.
This golden generation was reinforced by several binational gems who stood out for their dedication as well as their high technical level.
And yet the “Lions of the Atlas” still cannot win the African Cup of Nations (CAN) which has eluded them since the 1976 edition?
Unfortunately, since the coronation of 1976 we have not managed to win the flagship competition in Africa for several reasons.
Sometimes it was due to bad luck, other times it was due to individual mistakes by the goalkeepers.
Today, I believe that the national team is well equipped to seek the coronation in the next CANespecially since she will benefit from the support of the 12e player.
Is it true that the CAN is a very trying competition and sometimes more difficult to play than the World Cup?
Indeed I confirm it! Play a African Cup of Nations is not an easy task, you will need to have a mind of steel to be able to win it.
Indeed, several external factors can destabilize the concentration of players, including humidity, heat, the condition of the pitches, refereeing, accommodation conditions, etc.
I take the example of our national team, we have always been brilliant in our various participations in the World Cup. On the other hand, we have repeatedly missed our subject in la CAN.
Do you agree with those who believe that Morocco has a golden generation that is capable of dominating African and world football?
I completely agree with you. This generation is steeped in quality and has all the assets to win the African Cup of Nations and why not the World Cup.
Even without Hakim Ziyech?
Today, I estimate that the Moroccan selection can count on 30-40 players who have an almost similar level.
One of the strengths of the current national team is to have an inexhaustible pool of talent, whether in the country or on the “old continent”.
Now to answer your question, I will say that the Moroccan team is no longer dependent on one or two players. The presence d’Hakim Ziyech is a plus but its absence will not create technical and tactical problems.
In your opinion, which African selection has the best chance of giving the continent its first World Cup title?
Without any chauvinism, I believe that Morocco is best placed to offer Africa son premier sacre continental.
Can Achraf Hakimi win the title of best African player 2024?
Why not especially since it has been consistent throughout the year. He has made breathtaking performances whether with the national team or with Paris-Saint-Germain.
You won the African Ballon d’Or in 1985, who were the players who were in competition with you at that time?
There were several quality players at that time. I mainly name the two Cameroonian goalkeepers Thomas Nkono et Joseph Antoine Bell or the Algerian Rabah Madjer…
Several observers believe that African players of the 80s and 90s were more talented than current players, what do you think of that?
It’s true the quality was there before, but be careful it wasn’t the same football we play today.
At that time, there were no players’ agents and several ultra-talented elements went unnoticed, I cite in particular the Tunisian Tarek Dhiab who could easily succeed in Europe.
What do you remember from the 1986 World Cup and this historic qualification for the 8e final of the tournament?
It was an unforgettable moment… We presented some very good football as evidenced by our clear victory in front of a Portuguese selection which was full of quality players…
We could easily go further than the 8e in the final but ultimately we were unlucky in front West Germany (FRG)conceding a goal in the final minutes of the match.
