Moroccan head coach Mohamed Ouahbi was filmed preparing to offer his condolences to the family of Soufiane Rahimi following the death of the striker’s father, Haj Mohamed Rahimi, known as “Youari.” The clip, shared widely on X, showed Ouahbi accompanied by assistant coach João Sacramento as he moved to support the Al Ain forward during a difficult personal moment.
The footage did not confirm that the visit had already taken place, but rather captured Ouahbi in the process of reaching out, a distinction several outlets were careful to note. What stood out to observers was less the formality of the gesture than its timing and visibility, coming from a coach not always associated with public displays of sentiment.
Reaction from Moroccan fans was swift and largely positive. Social media users described the moment as proof of Ouahbi’s closeness to his squad, with many framing it as evidence of a human side to a technical staff often judged purely on results. The clip circulated widely across Moroccan football accounts, drawing attention well beyond the usual news cycle around the national team.
Rahimi’s standing in the squad partly explains the interest. The Al Ain striker was included in Morocco’s group for the 2026 World Cup and scored during the Atlas Lions’ win over Haiti in the tournament. He has also been used as an attacking option off the bench at times, giving Ouahbi tactical flexibility up front. That profile made the personal nature of the news, and the coach’s response to it, resonate more broadly than it might have otherwise. Rahimi’s late father worked for years as Raja Casablanca’s kit man, a role that tied the family closely to the club where Soufiane began his own footballing journey.
Sacramento’s presence alongside Ouahbi added an institutional dimension to the gesture, suggesting it was not an isolated individual reaction but one backed by the coaching staff as a whole. Several African and international outlets picked up the story, with headlines emphasizing the emotional weight of the scene rather than any footballing context.
There is no disciplinary or contractual angle to this story. It concerns a bereavement and a coach’s response to it, nothing more. Still, in a squad where cohesion is regularly cited as a strength, the episode has been read by many as a small but telling signal of how Ouahbi manages relationships within his group.
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