Amine El-Ouazzani shines as Angers beat Auxerre 3-1

Amine El-Ouazzani is quickly making his case for Angers in Ligue 1. The 25-year-old Franco-Moroccan forward, on loan from Braga, impressed from the start of the season and then took over at Auxerre on Saturday as the SCO won 3-1.

A fast start in Ligue 1

Before that big moment, his learning curve had already shown promise after a good display against Lille (0-2, the day before). L'Équipe frames this as a major step up: El-Ouazzani’s contribution wasn’t only about goals, but also about how hard he works for the team.

He has earned that sharpness through a varied path. He left for Braga in summer 2024 to test himself at the top level after two seasons in National (now Ligue 3) with Bourg-en-Bresse. He also tasted Ligue 2 with Guingamp from November 2022, scoring 18 goals in 61 games, and later hit 9 goals in 46 Portuguese top-flight matches.

Goal and assist decide it

After recovering from a fracture in a metatarsal that kept him out for more than three months last season (mid-December to end of March), he offered exactly what Angers wanted. Coach Stéphane Gilli praised him for “making an enormous amount of effort when defending and always working for the team.” That attitude was particularly visible in the first half.

In the second half, the impact turned into numbers. He first assisted the 2-1 by heading/redirecting the ball for Harouna Djibirin, who came on at 70 minutes. Then at 78 minutes he scored his first Ligue 1 goal: a slick left-footed pivot finish after a headed layoff from Ousmane Camara following a corner by Branco Van den Boomen, sealing the win.

According to L'Équipe, the deal came as a loan without a buy option, and El-Ouazzani remains under contract with Braga until 2029.