At the end of January, Hamza Igamane gave the Rangers supporters an insight into his New Years’ resolution.
Or, more accurately, his three resolutions.
Following a stunning run of form to end 2024, Hamza Igamane went into 2025 hoping to keep the progress going at Rangers, while silencing any lingering doubters and also earning himself a spot in the senior set-up of the Moroccan national team.
“[I want] to maintain the pace of development, [and] to provide evidence that I do not stop working because I have not reached the position I want for myself,” the striker explained. “I [also] hope to quickly reach the den of the Atlas Lions, and have the honour of defending the colours of my country.”
A month-and-a-bit later, Hamza Igamane is at least one giant stride closer to achieving one of those ambitions.
Hamza Igamane set for Morocco call-up despite Rangers form slowing
The goals have dried up recently, it’s fair to say.
Igamane scored 12 goals in 14 games from late-November to early-January. A stunning run which began with a brace in Rangers’ 4-1 hammering of Nice and which contained that Hibernian hat-trick, a Europa League strike against Spurs, and a couple of stunning finishes versus Kilmarnock and Ross County
Since finding the net in the 3-0 trouncing of Aberdeen nearly two months ago, however, Igamane has gone ten games without a goal.
Whether the £1.7 million summer signing from RAF Rabat is genuinely the real deal or whether he was merely in the midst of a purple patch destined to go unrepeated, only time will tell.
But with Igamane set to earn his first senior Morocco call-up for the March international break, the talented centre-forward could be about to tick one item off his 2025 bucket list a quarter of the way into the New Year.
According to Moroccan publication Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Igamane should form part of Walid Regragui’s squad for the first time ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Niger and Tanzania.
The experienced Ayoub El Kaabi – the man who fired Olympiakos to Europa Conference League glory last season – has picked up an injury. Igamane appears to be the likely successor with El Kaabi, scorer of 23 goals in 37 appearances this term for the Greek giants, a serious doubt.
“I think that the absence of El Kaabi will not cause problems for coach Walid Regragui, given that the Moroccan national team has stars capable of filling the gaps,” a source from inside the Moroccan national team’s technical staff told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
“Most notably Hamza Igamane, who remains a strong candidate to join the Atlas Lions’ squad.”
Igamane set to fulfil his ‘dream’ of representing the Atlas Lions
Igamane was part of the Morocco side which claimed the Under-23 African Cup of Nations two years back. He was joined in the squad by the likes of Oussama Targhalline and Couhaib Drouech, the Feyenoord playmaker and the PSV Eindhoven winger having been linked with moves to Rangers themselves before ending up in the Netherlands.
“Personally, I am of course pleased with the performances I have been giving,” Igamane told local Moroccan press recently. “As I have said, I feel my adaptation process within the club has gone well and time seems to have passed quickly.
“My first goal is to continue helping my team. I think it has helped because all my teammates welcomed me warmly, helped me integrate and provided me with all the assistance I needed, as well as all the coaching staff.
“We have a lot of challenges ahead at Rangers.
“And, looking ahead, the national team is the dream of any Moroccan player. Everyone wants to defend the jersey of their country’s team. I will continue to work hard to achieve this honour and represent the Moroccan national team.”
