Hicham Zerouali
Encyclopedia
Hicham Zerouali nicknamed 'Zero' or the 'Moroccan Magician', was a Moroccan
footballer. He played as a forward
for a number of clubs across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He was a Moroccan international
who won 17 caps
.
manager Ebbe Skovdahl
from FUS de Rabat
in 1999. He became the first player in Scotland to wear the shirt number '0' in 2000 (something outlawed the following season by the Scottish Premier League
) and in one of his more memorable outings scored a hat-trick
against Dundee
.
In January 2000, Zerouali scored a thirty yard free kick
in a fourth round Scottish Cup
tie away to St. Mirren to take the tie to a replay. Zerouali then scored in the 2-0 replay win at Pittodrie
to help Aberdeen into the next round of the cup. Aberdeen eventually reached the final of that season's Scottish Cup.
In 2000, Zerouali was injured during a match against Motherwell
, and subsequently missed out on a place at the Sydney Olympic Games
.
with the team Al-Nassr for a year, before returning to live in his home country of Morocco in 2003, signing for the football team FAR Rabat
.
and scored three goals. He featured for Morocco in the African Nations Cup in Mali
in 2002, and scored two goals in a 2-1 win over Burkina Faso
. He also played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
.
in December 2004 aged 27. Only the previous Saturday, he had scored two goals in a league game for his club. He is survived by a daughter to his girlfriend in Aberdeen.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
footballer. He played as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for a number of clubs across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He was a Moroccan international
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
who won 17 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
.
Aberdeen
Zerouali was signed by AberdeenAberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
manager Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
from FUS de Rabat
FUS de Rabat
Fath Union Sport de Rabat is a Moroccan football club currently playing in the first division. The club was founded on 10 April 1946. 'Fath Union Sport de Rabat' is actually the name of the sports club which encompasses everything from Basketball to the game of Chess...
in 1999. He became the first player in Scotland to wear the shirt number '0' in 2000 (something outlawed the following season by the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
) and in one of his more memorable outings scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
.
In January 2000, Zerouali scored a thirty yard free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
in a fourth round Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
tie away to St. Mirren to take the tie to a replay. Zerouali then scored in the 2-0 replay win at Pittodrie
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...
to help Aberdeen into the next round of the cup. Aberdeen eventually reached the final of that season's Scottish Cup.
In 2000, Zerouali was injured during a match against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
, and subsequently missed out on a place at the Sydney Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Al-Nassr and FAR Rabat
After his contract at Aberdeen expired, he then moved to play his football in the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
with the team Al-Nassr for a year, before returning to live in his home country of Morocco in 2003, signing for the football team FAR Rabat
FAR Rabat
Forces Armées Royales de Rabat is a Moroccan football club based in Morocco's capital city .The club was founded in 1958 soon after Morocco had gained their independence, and is one of the most famous football clubs in Morocco with Raja and Wydad. FAR stands for , roughly translated to mean Royal...
.
International career
Zerouali won 17 caps for the Morocco national football teamMorocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
and scored three goals. He featured for Morocco in the African Nations Cup in Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
in 2002, and scored two goals in a 2-1 win over Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso national football team
The Burkina Faso national football team, nicknamed Les Etalons , is the national team of Burkina Faso and is controlled by the Fédération Burkinabé de Foot-Ball. They were known as the Upper Volta national football team until 1984, when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso...
. He also played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship was the 11th staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship. It was held from June 16 to July 5, 1997 in Malaysia.-Venues:-Qualification:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship...
.
Death
Zerouali was killed in a car accident in RabatRabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
in December 2004 aged 27. Only the previous Saturday, he had scored two goals in a league game for his club. He is survived by a daughter to his girlfriend in Aberdeen.