Moroccan teenager Zaroury scores first Ajax goal in draw

Moroccan teenager Anass Zaroury netted his first official goal for Ajax Amsterdam on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to secure a win as the team drew 2-2 with Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie.

“

I am very, very happy. I went for this performance. I started very, very strong but then I had a big bamboo hit. In the last fifteen meters, I thought I would never make it to the end. I felt I was lacking training in my legs. I am especially happy that we won a medal, because it was not a sure thing.

Zaroury, 17, started the match and consistently threatened the opponent's goal. He scored a spectacular goal from outside the box in the 33rd minute, placing the ball in the upper corner of the net. This strike gave Ajax a 2-1 lead after an earlier own goal by Heerenveen's goalkeeper, Etienne Vaessen, in the seventh minute.

However, Heerenveen fought back, with Jacob Trenskow reducing the deficit just before halftime. Substitute Maxsiliano Rivas then scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute, spoiling Ajax's celebration of the 30th anniversary of their stadium, the Johan Cruyff Arena.

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It's great. To finish with a medal, and in front of the entire French crowd, I feel like there was even more noise than at the beginning of the week. The pool was really full. It's great to be part of this incredible team. I am with world champions, Olympic champions, so it makes you want to work even harder, to progress to get to the level of the best breaststrokers.

The draw places Ajax in fifth position in the league table with four points. The team is set to face Swiss side Sion in the qualifying round of the Europa Conference League on Thursday.

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I experienced quite a few disappointments in these European Championships individually. It took me a while to recover after the 100m backstroke final. But once I joined the team, a lot of energy came back to me. And as soon as we arrive on the starting block with all this public, we forget that we are in pain. It's really a fifth swimmer in this relay. I think that was the strength we had today. But yes, a little disappointment nonetheless in the 100m individually. I was hoping for much better.