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Abdel Abqar
	Abqar with Morocco in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Abdelkabir Abqar
Date of birth	10 March 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Settat, Morocco
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Alavés
Number	5
Youth career
	Mohammed VI Academy
2017–2018	Málaga
Senior career*
Years	Team
2017–2020	Málaga B
2018	Málaga
2020–2022	Alavés B
2021–	Alavés
International career‡
2024–	Morocco
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 June 2024; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 March 2024

Abdelkabir "Abdel" Abqar (Arabic: عبد الكبير أبقار; born 10 March 1999) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Alavés and the Morocco national team.

Club career

Born in Settat, Abqar joined Málaga CF's youth setup in 2017 from Mohammed VI Football Academy.^[1] He made his senior debut with the former's reserves on 12 November 2017, starting in a 1–0 Tercera División away loss against CD Huétor Tájar.

Abqar made his first-team debut on 11 September 2018, starting in a 2–1 home loss against UD Almería for the season's Copa del Rey.^[2] It was his maiden appearance for the main squad, as he continued to feature regularly with the B's and suffering relegation at the end of the campaign.

On 22 July 2020, Abqar signed for another reserve team, Deportivo Alavés B in Segunda División B.^[3] The following 6 May, he renewed his contract until 2025.^[4]

Abqar first appeared with Alavés' main squad on 30 November 2021, playing the entire second half in a 3–0 away win over Unami CP, also for the national cup. He was definitely promoted to the first team for the 2022–23 season, with the club now in Segunda División,^[5] and became a first-choice as the club returned to La Liga at first attempt; his first professional goal occurred on 29 October 2022, as he scored the opener in a 2–1 home win over Real Oviedo.^[6]

International career

On 13 March 2023, Abqar was called up to the full squad by manager Walid Regragui, for friendlies against Brazil and Peru.^[7]^[8]

On 28 December 2023, Abqar was amongst the 27 players selected by coach Walid Regragui to represent Morocco in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.^[9]^[10]

He made his debut on 22 March 2024 in a friendly against Angola.^[11]

References

^ "Tres nuevos marroquíes para la Academia" [Three new Moroccans for the Academy] (in Spanish). Málaga Hoy. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
^ "El Almería remonta al Málaga y pasa a la siguiente ronda" [Almería complete comeback over Málaga and go to the following round] (in Spanish). Marca. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
^ "Abqar abandona el Málaga y ficha por el Deportivo Alavés" [Abqar leaves Málaga and signs for Deportivo Alavés] (in Spanish). La Opinión de Málaga. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
^ "El Alavés renueva a Abqar hasta 2025" [Alavés renew Abqar until 2025] (in Spanish). Noticias de Álava. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
^ "Abde y Abqar se integran de maravilla en el Glorioso" [Abde and Abqar are wonderfully integrated at the Glorioso] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
^ Lekuona, Javier (29 October 2022). "Salva Sevilla diluye el 'efecto Cervera' en Mendizorroza". Diario AS (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2023.
^ "Regragui unveils his Atlas Lions list for March friendlies". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^ Aamari, Oussama. "Walid Regragui Announces Morocco's Squad for March Friendlies". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^ "Regragui unveils 27 player list for Morocco's participation in CAN 2023". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
^ "Regragui names 27 provisional players for AFCON". CAF. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
^ "Morocco v Angola game report". ESPN. 22 March 2024.