Osame Sahraoui Scout Report — From Oslo to Morocco’s National Team, Lille’s Left Winger Returning from Groin Surgery
Moroccan-Norwegian left winger Osame Sahraoui, signed by Lille OSC from SC Heerenveen on a five-year deal in the summer of 2024, began the 2026-27 season coming off a lengthy groin surgery and has featured only sparingly in Ligue 1 so far this term. Born on 11 June 2001 in Oslo, Norway, to a family who had emigrated from Bni Bouayach in Morocco, the 25-year-old stands at 1.71m and wears the number 11 shirt for Lille.
From Oslo to Vålerenga: An Academy Story
Sahraoui began his football journey at Hauketo IF in Oslo, progressing through Vålerenga’s academy between 2014 and 2019 and signing his first professional contract with the club in May 2019. He made his first-team debut in June 2020 against Stabæk, winning a penalty that helped equalise the match, and scored his first goal on 26 July 2020 in a 2-0 win over Strømsgodset. Named Eliteserien Young Player of the Month in August 2021 and August 2022, Sahraoui made 84 league appearances and scored 13 goals across three seasons at Vålerenga, totalling 91 appearances and the same number of goals in all competitions.
The Heerenveen Spell and the Move to Lille
Sahraoui signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with SC Heerenveen in January 2023 and made his Eredivisie debut on 4 February 2023 in a 1-0 defeat to FC Utrecht. After making 47 league appearances and scoring 9 goals in a season and a half at Heerenveen, he transferred to Lille OSC on 1 August 2024 on a five-year deal running through 2029. He has since made 52 league appearances for Lille, scoring 4 goals, and 77 appearances with 6 goals across all competitions, wearing the number 11 shirt.
Groin Surgery and a Difficult Comeback
Sahraoui’s time at Lille was overshadowed when he went off in the 72nd minute of a match against Paris FC on 25 November 2025 with groin pain. The issue, which had lingered for weeks and recently intensified, was diagnosed as pubalgia; after conservative treatment failed, he underwent surgery and was sidelined from January 2026, missing 15 matches during his rehabilitation. Lille confirmed on 3 April 2026 that he had rejoined full team training. Having started the 2026-27 season cautiously following his long absence, he has made 4 Ligue 1 appearances to date (1 as a starter), playing 115 minutes in total including his Champions League minutes, with an average FotMob rating of 6.43 as a rotation option in attack. Matias Fernandez-Pardo’s transfer to Newcastle United in September 2026, for a fee of around £51 million, has thinned Lille’s competition on the left flank, creating potential for Sahraoui to earn more playing time once he is back to full fitness.
From Norway to Morocco’s National Team
Sahraoui made his Norway U21 debut on 8 October 2021 against Croatia, going on to make 13 appearances and score 2 goals at that level. Called up to the senior national team by head coach Ståle Solbakken in August 2023, he earned 1 cap for Norway, appearing in a friendly against Jordan and a Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia. On 30 August 2024, he switched his sporting nationality to represent Morocco, making his debut on 15 October 2024 in a 4-0 win over the Central African Republic in 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, and has since made 2 appearances at that level.
