Morocco forward Ismael Saibari etched his name into African football history on Wednesday by becoming the first African player to score in all three of his country's group-stage matches at a FIFA World Cup, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 25-year-old reached the landmark during Morocco's thrilling 4-2 victory over Haiti in their final Group C fixture, capping a superb group-stage campaign that has established him as one of the tournament's standout performers.
Saibari's latest goal, which levelled the score at 1-1 after Morocco had fallen behind early, ensured he found the net in each of the Atlas Lions' three group-stage matches a feat never before achieved by an African player at the World Cup.
His historic scoring run began with a goal in Morocco's opening 1-1 draw against five-time world champions Brazil. He followed it up with the decisive strike in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Scotland before extending his remarkable streak against Haiti.
With three goals at the tournament, Saibari has also become the first African player to score three times at a single FIFA World Cup since Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan accomplished the feat at the 2010 finals in South Africa.
Gyan's performances 16 years ago remain among the most memorable by an African footballer on the world's biggest stage. Saibari has now matched that scoring milestone while writing a new chapter in the continent's World Cup history.
