Morocco players have paid tribute to Abdelhak Nouri after the country's historic win over Spain in the last-16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In the dressing room after the surprise win, Moroccan players could be seen holding a jersey with Nouri's name on it. Nouri was forced to retire in 2017 after an on-field cardiac arrest left him with brain damage.
The 25-year-old played nine times for the Ajax first team and played at youth level for the Netherlands. He is of Moroccan descent with both his parents hailing from the African country.
READ MORE: Morocco fans celebrate after historic win over Spain
During his time at Ajax, Nouri would have played alongside Moroccan star Hakim Ziyech. After the Morocco win over Spain, members of the team posed for pictures with a jersey showing Nouri's name and famous number 34 shirt number.
Nouri was a promising young player and rose through the ranks of Ajax's famed youth system. He represented the Netherlands at all youth levels from u15 to u19, and was well on his way to becoming an established member of the Ajax squad.
Things changed for Nouri however during a pre-season friendly with Werder Bremen in July 2017 when he collapsed on the pitch during the game. The then 20-year-old star was airlifted to hospital were his condition was stabilised.
In the days after the accident, it was revealed that Nouri had suffered serious permanent brain damage and that his football career was over.
In 2018 Ajax later announced that an investigation into the incident had revealed that Nouri received 'inadequate' treatment on the field after his collapse. The club acknowledged 'liability for the consequences' as a result of the incident.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the club would pay the family €7.85 million.
Since the incident took place in 2017, the number 34 has become synonymous with Nouri as this was the shirt number that he wore during his Ajax days. That number has since been retired by the Amsterdam club.
Plenty of players, such as Manchester United's Donny Van de Beek and Moroccan star Sofyan Amrabat have worn the number 34 shirt in honour of their friend.
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