Marouane Chamakh

Marouane Chamakh is a Moroccan former footballer, born in Tonneins, France, on 10 January 1984 to Moroccan parents. A forward described as a prototypical target man, noted for his link-up play and heading, he won the French league title with Bordeaux in 2009, played in England for Arsenal, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Cardiff City, and scored 18 goals in 65 appearances for Morocco. ^{1 2 3 4}

Chamakh joined Bordeaux in 2000 and made his professional debut in the 2002–03 season. In nine years at the club he won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2007 and, in 2008–09, the Ligue 1 title — Bordeaux's first since 1999 — together with a second Coupe de la Ligue, completing a league and league-cup double. In May 2010 he joined Arsenal on a free transfer; there he became the first player in Champions League history to score in six consecutive matches. He later played for West Ham United on loan, for Crystal Palace — where his work rate won over the home support — and briefly for Cardiff City, and he confirmed his retirement on 26 May 2019 after more than two years without a club. ¹

Born in France and capped once by France's under-19 team, Chamakh chose Morocco at senior level after being called up by the national coach, Badou Zaki, for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. He debuted in June 2003, scored twice at the 2004 tournament itself, and played the whole of the final, which Morocco lost 2–1 to Tunisia. Off the field he earned a baccalauréat in accounting, and in February 2010 he stood as a non-eligible candidate on the Democratic Movement (MoDem) list for the Gironde in the French regional elections. ¹

Chamakh was raised in Aiguillon, near his birthplace. His father, El Mostafa Chamakh, was a former footballer in Morocco who left for France in 1979 to find better living conditions and work. ^{1 5}

The English article, citing The Independent, describes Chamakh as a practising Muslim and quotes his own words on fasting: "I have no problem fasting during Ramadan, it becomes normal. The day before a game and on match days I do not fast, but I'll make up the lost days later." That statement is one source's report, it names Islam only generically, and the Arabic, French and Urdu articles add only Muslim category filings; no source names a school or affiliation for him, so the museum records his faith as unknown. ^{1 2 5 4}