Hamza Igamane made his long-awaited senior debut for Morocco on Friday night, and despite limited time on the pitch, supporters are already pushing for him to have a bigger role in the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Tanzania.
The Rangers striker was brought on in the final stages of Morocco’s hard-fought 2-1 win over Niger.
Walid Regragui’s side had to battle from behind, equalising on the hour mark before sealing victory in stoppage time through Bilal El Khannouss.
Igamane’s recent club performances, including his memorable winner against Celtic in the latest Old Firm derby, earned him a place in the squad.
With 14 goals and three assists in 37 appearances this season for Rangers, the 22-year-old has proven he can deliver at club level - and many believe he deserves a real chance to do the same for his country.
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However, with less than ten minutes to make an impression as a substitute during his first cap, he had little opportunity to showcase his attacking ability.
He only touched the ball four times, with 100 per cent of his passes being accurate.
Moroccan media had mixed reactions to his introduction, with Le360 saying he was subbed on to “breathe new life” into the team, while Lebrief suggested his inclusion was aimed at injecting energy into an attack that had struggled throughout the match.
Whereas, the reaction from Morocco fans on social media suggests that Igamane’s cameo was “one of the few positives of the game.”
Morocco are in Group E of the African section for World Cup qualifying, and have won all four of their matches so far, scoring 12 times and conceding just twice.
