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Ayoub El Kaabi: The Player Challenging Cristiano Ronaldo’s Bicycle Kicks at AFCON 2025
In Morocco, fans no longer talk about bicycle kicks — they talk about doing an El Kaabi. His acrobatics are now drawing comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Redefining the bicycle kick at AFCON 2025
Some footballing moves become timeless, inseparable from the players who mastered them. For years, the bicycle kick was one of the signatures of Cristiano Ronaldo — explosive, spectacular, and unforgettable. At AFCON 2025, Ayoub El Kaabi is giving that acrobatic tradition a new chapter.
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With two stunning overhead-kick goals already in the tournament, the Morocco striker has transformed the way fans describe the move. It’s no longer just a bicycle kick — it’s “scoring an El Kaabi.”
The goals that reignited Morocco
El Kaabi’s impact was immediate. Against Comoros, he came off the bench with Morocco struggling to impose themselves and delivered a breathtaking bicycle kick that changed the atmosphere inside the stadium. The moment echoed many of Cristiano Ronaldo’s most iconic goals: decisive timing, technical perfection, and pure spectacle.
From that point on, every aerial ball toward El Kaabi carried anticipation. His presence alone shifted momentum and restored belief among the Atlas Lions and their supporters.
The “El Kaabicycle” becomes his trademark
The striker repeated the feat in the final group match against Zambia. After opening the scoring, El Kaabi sealed the win with another acrobatic finish — a goal that further cemented his status as the tournament’s aerial artist.
Unlike many of the tournament’s top scorers, El Kaabi’s goals have come exclusively from open play, two of them through overhead kicks. The comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t about numbers, but about impact: goals that live on far beyond the final whistle.
From hardship to continental icon
El Kaabi’s journey is as remarkable as his finishing. Raised in a working-class neighborhood in Casablanca, he left school early and worked multiple manual jobs before football opened a door. He turned professional later than most, endured difficult spells abroad, and eventually found stability with Olympiacos, where he scored the winning goal in the 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League final.
Now, at AFCON 2025, he is more than a striker — he is a symbol of resilience and belief. In a tournament filled with stars, El Kaabi stands out as the player capable of turning a single moment into history.
Every time he launches himself into the air, an entire nation holds its breath. Just like with Cristiano Ronaldo for years, the bicycle kick is once again must-see football.
