Couhaib Driouech is a 21-year-old winger who plays for Excelsior Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie. He is an instrumental part of the team that has surprised multiple teams so far, being in fifth place after just eight matches in the Eredivisie. Driouech came through the youth academy of SC Heerenveen but never managed to break through in Friesland. He moved to Excelsior in the summer of 2021. The winger has been a regular starter for Excelsior since the start of last season. He has recorded one goal and two assists in six Eredivisie matches so far. Driouech is also a Moroccan youth international.
Driouech stands at approximately 1.75 meters and has a strong build. He has a lot of strength in his legs and body. The Moroccan winger is the fastest player of the Eredivisie, registering a top speed of 34.07 kilometers per hour. Driouech has very good acceleration and as the speed stat displays, he is also very quick over longer distances. He has good stamina. Driouech keeps on sprinting and plays with a high intensity. Driouech’s good athleticism and balance help him to evade tackles while dribbling. He has decent changes of directions and agility. The winger has good strength in shoulder-to-shoulder duels and does not get dispossessed easily in physical duels.
The Moroccan winger likes to drop deep in the half-space in first-phase possession but has the tendency to be too passive receiving the ball, allowing his opponent to get in front of him and intercept the pass. Driouech likes to take on opponents. He has good close control while dribbling and always tries to make his actions at full speed but has mixed results. Driouech occasionally has the tendency to overdribble and run into congested areas. However, in isolated 1v1s, he is really strong and creates separation easily due to his incredible acceleration and speed. Even though Driouech has incredible speed, he fails to make many good runs and when he makes a run he lacks conviction. I think he could be more dangerous if he uses space more efficiently (with his runs), but this could also be a lack of tactical intelligence.
Having played in both the right- and left-wing position this season, I have seen various versions of Couhaib Driouech. From the right-wing, he tends to mostly go on the outside before crossing the ball into the box. From the left-wing, he tends to cut inside to his stronger right foot and look for a shot from near the edge of the box or for a chipped pass towards one of the other attackers from a deeper area. Driouech’s chipped through passes are often very accurate and he also displays decent vision while doing so. His crossing technique is quite good and he often manages to create danger from the right-wing with his crosses. His ball-striking with his right foot could be improved even though it is at a decent level already. Driouech’s finishing with his left foot is often uncontrolled and too wild. He needs to be more consistent with his shooting ability. His final ball with his left foot is quite average, even though he often makes the right decision.
Couhaib Driouech is an interesting winger who currently has a good level in the Dutch Eredivisie. He has a very interesting physical profile and a solid technical base but seems to have some tactical limitations currently. It will be interesting to see how his numbers develop over the next few months. He will still have some tactical limitations, but if he can work on his ball-striking and final ball with his left foot he could become an interesting player for lower-table Ligue 1 teams that play counter-attacking football. With that being said, Driouech is an entertaining player to watch and I am curious to keep track of his career in the upcoming years.