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Former Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech makes surprising move to Brazil

Ziyech poses with the Botafogo flag at Galeão Airport
Ziyech poses with the Botafogo flag at Galeão AirportX/@Botafogo

Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech is set to join Brazilian side Botafogo in a surprising move, the club confirmed on Wednesday.

Ziyech, 33, will join three-time champions Botafogo as a free agent after leaving Wydad Casablanca on a free transfer earlier this summer.

The Dutch-Moroccan former Ajax star will first undergo his medical exams, but will pen to paper on a two-year deal in Rio de Janeiro.

"Everything went well; the flight was a bit long, but I’m really excited. Rio has always been on my list to visit and now it’s become a reality. I’m very excited. Brazil is the number one country when it comes to football, it’s a way of life and I want to experience that," Ziyech told the official Botafogo channel.

Hakim Ziyech has built a career at major European clubs, with standout spells at Ajax, Chelsea, and Galatasaray. For the Morocco national team, he also became one of the key players of the generation that made history at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, reaching the semifinals - a first for an African team.

After three years at Chelsea and 18 months at Galatasaray, Ziyech joined Al Duhail in Qatar before moving to Wydad Casablanca in Morocco. In 16 games for Wydad, Ziyech scored 9 goals and provided 2 assists.