Tawfik Bentayeb joined the Mauves last summer. The Moroccan striker has scored three goals and provided one assist in six league appearances. In this interview, Tawfik looks back on his first few months at the club. He speaks proudly about representing his country, explains how important someone like Ali Maamar has been in helping him settle into his new life in Brussels, and looks ahead to the European clash against Dinamo Zagreb.
Hi Tawfik, how are you?
"I’m feeling very good, thank you. Everything has been going very smoothly for me since I joined RSC Anderlecht. I’m really happy to be here."
How have you experienced your first few months at RSCA?
"Very positively, to be honest. Everyone at the club, both the staff and the players, has made me feel very welcome. Everyone is friendly and makes an effort to approach you when you’re new, which is extremely important for someone joining a new club. From day one, my teammates made me feel at home. I’d really like to thank them for the way they’ve welcomed me."
How are you finding life in Brussels?
"I live in the city centre. It’s obviously very busy. There are lots of people, and I often get stuck in traffic (laughs). You can tell that Brussels is always buzzing. I’m not used to that, but that’s absolutely fine. I’m adapting. Brussels is a beautiful city. There are also lots of supporters living here whom I bump into regularly, which is nice."
Do you manage to find some peace and quiet in the city?
"Yes. After training sessions or matches, I like to stay at home and relax. I play PlayStation. I really need that time to unwind. It’s important to me. My older brother comes to visit from time to time, but I live here on my own. My family is in Morocco, and I speak to them every day on the phone. We call each other or have video calls. That means a lot to me."
You received your first call-up to the Moroccan national team and even got some playing time. What was that experience like?
"It was an incredibly positive experience. Representing my country was a dream come true. I was really happy to make my first appearances for the national team. It had been my dream ever since I was a young boy playing football in Morocco. I’m delighted to have finally made that dream a reality. I felt nothing but pride when I put on the shirt. It was a special and important moment for me and my entire family."
You were part of the Moroccan squad alongside Ali Maamar, your teammate at RSCA. What was that like?
"It was obviously great to represent our country together and travel to Morocco. We spent almost the entire international break together. It was really nice to have a teammate there with me. We had a great time together, and we were both simply very happy and proud to be part of the squad."
Has Ali’s presence also made your integration at RSCA easier?
"Absolutely. Ali was the first person here to welcome me with open arms. When he heard that I, a player from Morocco, was joining RSCA, he immediately sent me a message on Instagram to welcome me. I didn’t know him at the time, but that was the beginning of a connection between us. We get along really well, we can talk about anything and we laugh a lot. We also spend quite a lot of time together."
Things have been going well for you on the pitch since you arrived. You’ve scored three goals and provided one assist in six league appearances. Do you feel you’ve found your place in the team?
"Absolutely. Things have been going very smoothly for me. I feel comfortable in the way we play, and I can do the things I enjoy. I get into scoring positions, crosses come in, and my teammates play passes that put me in good positions to create danger. I’m very happy, and I feel really good playing alongside my teammates."
On Thursday, you’ll face GNK Dinamo Zagreb and have another opportunity to do on the European stage what you’ve already been doing in the league: score goals. How do you see the match?
"It’s our first away game in Europe, and it’s going to be a tough match. They drew their opening game (0-0 against Beer Sheva, ed.). Unfortunately, we lost at home to Lyon, so we need to pick up points. We want to perform well in the Europa League this season, and getting a result in Zagreb on Thursday will be very important."
What are the ambitions of the Mauves in Europe?
"We take it one game at a time and see how things develop. We don’t want to set ourselves a specific target, but it’s true that this is a great stage to show what we’re capable of. European matches are always special. I don’t want to set myself a specific target in terms of the number of goals I want to score. I mainly want to enjoy playing with the team and make the most of these matches. These are the kinds of games I used to watch on television when I was younger. Today, I have the opportunity to play in them alongside my teammates. I want to keep that same love of the game that I’ve had ever since I started playing football, and then we’ll see how things turn out for us."
