Botola Pro League 2023/24: Morocco’s top attacking prowess explored through numbers – data analysis

The 2023/24 Moroccan Botola Pro League is currently at the halfway point, and the competition is proving to be thoroughly entertaining. Reigning champions AS FAR are once again staking their claim to be champions of Morocco as they sit in first place. Raja Club Athletic (Raja Casablanca) are hot on their heels having amassed an equal points tally, finding themselves in second place based on goal difference at the halfway stage. 

Meanwhile, 22-time champions Wydad AC find themselves down in fourth place, eight points behind the league leaders and out of the Champions League and Confederation Cup qualification places. At the opposite end of the table, IR Tanger and Youssoufia Berrechid occupy the relegation places, with the latter having conceded the most goals so far.

This analysis piece will take the form of a data analysis where we will dig into the statistics to analyse the most productive attacking players in the Botola Pro League this season. Using data, we will be able to compare and contrast the attacking output of the players whilst considering how they currently fit into their teams tactics and what they bring to the attacking phase of play. 

Goalscoring

The sample pool for this analysis consists of players who line up in what we woul d consider to be attacking positions and have played over 800 minutes of football this season. 

A good place to begin with this analysis is to look at how the players perform in terms of the number of goals scored compared to the number of expected goals. Naturally, our eyes are drawn to the players who are performing at an above-average rate. 

The data visual tells us that Naoufel Zerhouni and Yousri Bouzok of Raja Casablanca lead the goalscoring charts with seven goals apiece. Alongside them is Pape Badji of MA Tétouan, and Mouchine Bouriga of MA Fés is just one behind on six goals so far.