Moroccan striker Ayoub El Kaabi, known as the “King of Scissor Kicks,” dazzles with acrobatic goals for Morocco and Olympiacos.
Moroccan and Olympiacos striker Ayoub El Kaabi stole the spotlight during the early rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations, after he excelled in scoring two goals from scissor kicks, making them his signature move.
Similar to the exceptional goal that El Kaabi scored with a scissor kick against Comoros during the opening match of the tournament, the Casablanca native was able to lead the "Atlas Lions" to the round of 16 after scoring two goals against Zambia, one of which was a wonderful "acrobatic" shot.
In response to a question about the secret behind his scissor kicks, which the Moroccan is adept at finishing into the net, El Kaabi said in a press statement after the match: "The most important thing for me is scoring goals and helping my teammates, whether I start or come off the bench."
Al-Kaabi’s goal stole the spotlight, and was widely shared by social media users, who nicknamed him “the king of scissor kicks ”.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) celebrated the goal, saying: "Those are the kinds of finishes you see once and then again and again with Ayoub El Kaabi."
He added in another post on the "X" platform: "It is inconceivable that Ayoub El Kaabi has done it again!Scissor kicks are no longer just a way to score goals, but a special signature for Al-Kaabi that he has made his mark in the clubs he has played for, to the point that some international newspapers have considered this type of goal to have become a trademark in his name.
Last week, the French newspaper L'Equipe described El Kaabi's scissor kick in the Comoros match as "acrobatic".
The newspaper said that the Moroccan striker no longer needs an introduction, stressing that this strike has become his signature move.
The Casablanca native has become a phenomenon on social media platforms, as many videos have spread that compile the most prominent moments in which he scored goals with his scissor kick, whether with the clubs he played for or with the Moroccan national team.
Among his most notable goals are one against Benin in a friendly match last July, another against Guinea-Bissau in October 2021, in addition to 4 similar goals with Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
Al-Kaabi relies on a unique technique in executing aerial scissor kicks, as he shoots the ball from above with his foot raised to the level of the opponent's defenders' heads, making the ball look like a perfect header.
El Kaabi has previously scored many goals from bicycle kicks with his current team Olympiacos, as well as with the previous teams he played for, such as Racing Casablanca, Renaissance Berkane, Wydad, Hebei China, Hatayspor, and Al Sadd.
The streets of the working-class neighborhoods of Casablanca honed El Kaabi’s talent as a player with a goal-scoring instinct, skilled at putting the ball in the net.
The 32-year-old player began his career with neighborhood teams in Morocco’s economic capital, then played for Racing Casablanca, then Renaissance Berkane , before moving to the Chinese league to play for Hebei China, and now he has settled at Olympiacos.
With the "Atlas Lions", El Kaabi cemented his place as one of the most prominent strikers in the history of the national team, scoring more than 40 international goals, despite the intense competition for this position.
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