ASFAR Ghizlane Chebbak: “Girls, do what you love!”

Morocco’s ASFAR kicked off their campaign at the maiden TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League, Egypt 2021 with an emphatic 3-0 win over Nigeria’s Rivers Angels in Cairo on Saturday.

With Sanaa Mssoudi scoring a hattrick, it was the skipper Ghizlane Chebbak who got herself also another hattrick, but of assists!

The Moroccan midfielder spoke to CAFOnline.com about her story from choosing football till skipping her side to the first ever CAF Women’s Champions League.

“I began playing football when I was 8 years old. My father was a professional footballer, and he inspired me a lot. I started playing with boys at the streets like everyone. Then I went to play in a team at our neighborhood,” Chebbak said.

Getting three assists in one game was nothing new to Ghizlane, who always shines in the domestic competition. “I’m used to either get the best player or top scorer award every season for 9 years now, this brings me pride. It crowns my efforts and keeps me moving forward. I want to win the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations with my Moroccan national team, this will mean achieving my ultimate dream,” she revealed her dreams for her football career.

When asked about playing in the WCL with her club, Ghizlane said “I could not believe at first when I heard there will be TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League. This is a great thing for me especially at my adult footballer life and it’s great to have my name written in history with this, so I hope we promote an image that suits this tournament and our great Moroccan club; ASFAR”.

Ghizlane sent a touching message to all young girls. “As a kid, I always found difficulties to keep up with both football and my education, especially that in my days there was no programs supporting sports with education like there is now. So, I had to choose football over everything else. I still urge young girls to stick to whatever they love and want to play, but to always take care of their education as well because it’s just as important.”

“Families should support their daughters to develop their talents, do not leave them to how societies judge female footballers because they think it’s only for men. Girls! play football or anything you love, work on yourselves and you’ll be stars,” she concluded.