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Ayman El Wafi

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Ayman El Wafi
Personal information
Date of birth (2004-05-11) 11 May 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth Camaiore, Italy
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 FC Lugano
Number 22
Youth career
2015–2021 Livorno
2021–2023 Hellas Verona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– FC Lugano 17 (1)
International career‡
2022– Morocco U20 6 (0)
2023– Morocco U23 5 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Morocco
U-23 Africa Cup of Nations
Winner Morocco 2023 U-23 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:50, 8 July 2023 (UTC)

Ayman El Wafi (Arabic: ايمن الوافي, Arabic pronunciation: [ˈaj.ma:n aɫ.wa:fi]; born 11 May 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Swiss Super League club FC Lugano. Born in Italy, El Wafi represents Morocco at youth international level.

Early life

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Born and raised in Camaiore, Italy to Moroccan parents, El Wafi relocated to Tangier with his family in 2012, aged eight, following the death of his father; he moved back to his country of birth three years later.[1]

Club career

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In the summer of 2015, shortly after his return to Italy, El Wafi was noticed by several scouts from Livorno at a local youth tournament, and subsequently joined the club's youth sector.[1] In February 2021, he joined Hellas Verona's academy,[2][3] as a consequence of Livorno's financial crisis.[1] Having come through the club's youth ranks, the defender started training with Verona's first team during the 2022–23 season, under head coach Marco Zaffaroni,[4] while establishing himself as a regular starter for the under-19 team.[5][6]

On 8 June 2023, it was officially announced that El Wafi would join Swiss side FC Lugano on a free transfer from 1 July, having signed a four-year contract with the Ticinese club.[5][7][8] On 29 July, he made his professional debut for the club, coming on as a substitute for Kreshnik Hajrizi in the 57th minute of a 1–0 league win over St. Gallen.[9][10] On 21 September, he made his European debut as an injury-time substitute in a UEFA Europa Conference League goalless draw against Bodø/Glimt in the group stage.[11][12] On 17 December, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–2 league draw with Servette.[13][14]

International career

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El Wafi has represented Morocco at several youth international levels, having played for the under-20 and under-23 national teams.[4][5][15]

In October 2022, he took part in the 2022 UNAF U-20 Tournament in Egypt, which served as a qualifying round for the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.[16]

After making his debut for the under-23 national team in March 2023,[17][18] El Wafi was included in the squad for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco itself.[19][20] As the youngest player in the squad, he played four games throughout the tournament,[6] where the Atlas Lions won their first title[21][22] and qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[21][23]

In July 2024, El Wafi was originally included in the Moroccan squad for the men's football tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics;[24][25] however, he withdrew after his club refused to release him, and was replaced by Bilal El Ouadghiri.[25]

Style of play

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El Wafi has been described as a left-footed centre-back, who can play indifferently in a back-four or a back-three and has good physical and technical attributes.[4][7]

Honours

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Morocco U23

References

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  1. ^ a b c Lunari, Alessandro (2 August 2023). ""Vi prometto che tra due anni sarò in una big"". Cronache di spogliatoio (in Italian). Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  2. ^ Lorini, Simone; Conterio, Simone (1 February 2021). "TMW - Hellas Verona, preso dal Livorno il giovane Ayman El Wafi. Contratto depositato". TUTTOmercatoWEB.com (in Italian). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  3. ^ Zupo, Mattia (1 February 2021). "Settore giovanile, depositato il contratto di El Wafi". Calcio Hellas (in Italian). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Zupo, Mattia (9 March 2023). "El Wafi, il muro marocchino che si allena agli ordini di Zaffaroni". Calcio Hellas (in Italian). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Andreuccetti, Gianluca (8 June 2023). "UFFICIALE - Verona, ceduto El Wafi al Lugano: i dettagli". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Da Abde a El Wafi: il Marocco U23 vince la Coppa d'Africa e va a Parigi 2024". Gianluca Di Marzio (in Italian). 9 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Ayman El Wafi è il primo rinforzo del Lugano". RSI (in Italian). 8 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  8. ^ Pagani, Daniele (8 June 2023). "DALL'HELLAS VERONA ARRIVA AYMAN EL WAFI". FC Lugano (in Italian). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Il Lugano inaugura al meglio il nuovo Cornaredo". RSI (in Italian). 29 July 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  10. ^ "FC Lugano - FC St.Gallen 1879 - Beendet - Super League - 2. Runde". SRF (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Lugano - Bodø/Glimt (0-0) Conference League 2023". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Un esordio europeo bello a metà per il Lugano". RSI (in Italian). 22 September 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Il Lugano torna da Ginevra con un punto che sta stretto". RSI (in Italian). 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  14. ^ "La "bise" ginevrina rigenera sempre il Lugano". FC Lugano (in Italian). 17 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  15. ^ Schirru, Francesco (23 January 2023). "L'ingenuità di El Wafi: tocca il pallone con le mani dopo il passaggio del portiere". Goal.com (in Italian). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  16. ^ "تشكيلة المنتخب الوطني لاقل من20 سنة امام تونس" (in Arabic). Royal Moroccan Football Federation. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  17. ^ "MATCH AMICAL U23 Maroc-Côte d'Ivoire feuille de match". Royal Moroccan Football Federation (in French). 22 March 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  18. ^ "المنتخب الوطني لاقل من 23 سنة يفوز على اوزبكستان". Royal Moroccan Football Federation (in Arabic). 27 March 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Sei bianconeri con le nazionali". FC Lugano (in Italian). 9 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  20. ^ "تشكيلة المنتخب الوطني لاقل من 23 سنة امام غينيا". Royal Moroccan Football Federation (in Arabic). 24 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  21. ^ a b c "Morocco win maiden TotalEnergies U-23 Africa Cup of Nations title with victory over Egypt". CAFOnline.com. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Le Maroc remporte la CAN U23 au bout de la prolongation". SO FOOT.com (in French). 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Le Mali, le Maroc et l'Égypte qualifiés pour les JO 2024". SO FOOT.com (in French). 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  24. ^ "السيد طارق السكتيوي يكشف عن قائمة اللاعبين المتوجه إلى باريس" [Mr. Tariq Al-Saktiwi reveals the list of players heading to Paris] (in Arabic). Royal Moroccan Football Federation. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  25. ^ a b Senoussi, Zoubida (9 July 2024). "JO Paris 2024/Maroc U23 : Ayman El Wafi annonce son forfait" (in French). Hespress. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
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