Morocco's star hangs up his boots

After an illustrious career..

Former Morocco international Khalid Boutaib has announced his retirement from football. In a video posted to his official Instagram account, he brought the curtain down on a career that started on amateur pitches and ended with an appearance at the 2018 World Cup.

Boutaib looked back on the key milestones, explaining that his path never ran through one of the major training academies. He spent years in amateur football alongside his studies before signing his first professional contract at 27.

Gazélec, he pointed out, handed him the chance to turn professional and play in the French top flight. Then came an exceptional season with Strasbourg, where he scored 20 goals and won the French league title. His bond with the club's supporters and the city itself, he stressed, remains among his fondest memories.

That late start became fuel. Boutaib said he played every match as if trying to make up for the lost years, before an opportunity with the Morocco national team arrived, one he considered greater than he had ever imagined.

Three goals against Gabon stand out among his proudest moments with the Atlas Lions. That performance helped edge him closer to his dream of playing at a World Cup, a dream realised at Russia 2018.

His goal against Spain will stay etched in his memory too, a scene the Moroccan fans lived out before the eyes of the world.

Boutaib closed his message with thanks to his family, friends, coaches, team-mates and the staff he worked with, along with the fans who backed him throughout his career, before officially calling time on his playing days.