About The Team

Mostapha, a former national football star, leaves his lucrative job to follow his dream of forming a football team in his old neighborhood. Mostapha holds tryouts for the team, selecting only the most promising players. Among The Team members introduced are two young men: Mehdi, who comes from a wealthy family, and Samir, whose family is struggling to survive as his father’s health deteriorates.

Intrusions (2)

Mehdi struggles to get along with the other players on the team. He nearly causes a fight when he mistakes a team member’s mother for a beggar. Mostapha takes Mehdi aside in an effort to help him understand the other young men whose lives are very different from his own in this poor neighborhood. Meanwhile Omar, Mostapha’s son, and Soukaina, Samir’s sister, work together to raise money in support of the team. The episode also shows Mehdi’s compassion for his mother as she struggles with the possible infidelity of her husband.

Aggressions (3)

The team loses their first match and a series of unfortunate events unravels. Bouchaib, Mostapha’s old boss, tries in vain to convince Mostapha to return to work, and when he is unsuccessful, Bouchaib takes his revenge by reporting damaging lies about Mostapha to the local press. Meanwhile Mehdi is attacked by two young people after the match. His scooter is stolen and he is left unconscious in the street. Samir stumbles across the unconscious Mehdi and, in an act of kindness, takes him home so that his mother can care for him. Upon waking up in strange surroundings, Mehdi is thankful for Samir’s help. His attackers are later found. Omar and Soukaina have worked hard to raise 1,000 Moroccan Dirhams (local currency) for the team, but the money is lost when Omar trusts a local thief to safely take the money to his father Mostapha. Omar tries to save the situation by selling his late mother’s jewelry.

Hors Jeux (4): Off Sides

Mostapha is upset when it is revealed that the press published Bouchaib’s lies in the paper. Samir’s father sacrifices his job for his son and he must now struggle to find alternative work, while Samir is obligated to support his family. This results in Samir arriving late for practice, and Mostapha gives his position in the upcoming match to Mehdi as punishment. The game is lost and the team blames this on Mehdi. However, Samir unexpectedly comes to Mehdi’s rescue and the two begin to build a friendship.

Exclusions (5)

Samir quits his job in order to play the team’s next match. The match goes well and the team wins their first championship point. Mehdi is struggling to be accepted by the other players, and his parents are continuing to argue. Samir decides that he must quit the team in order to fulfill his responsibilities to his family. Omar and Mostapha convince Samir’s boss to give him a second chance and allow him to work the night shift so that he can stay on the team.

Trafficking (6)

This episode follows Samir’s brother Simo as he discovers their father is struggling to work as a porter in the market and tries to find employment himself. Simo finally decides to risk a job with his friend Hamid, although it is legally questionable. The team does not perform well in their fourth match and Hamza quits. Both Mehdi and Omar are hurt by their fathers’ neglect and Mehdi decides to confront his father over how he is treating his mother. Samir hears about where his father is working and goes to bring him home as the work is too demanding for his father given his age. Simo tells his family of his new job, which causes a big argument as they feel he should not have to do such work with a PhD, but in the end they all agree it is the best solution for the moment.

Misunderstandings (7)

Mehdi convinces Soukaina to have coffee with him and they discover that they share similar ambitions. After their coffee, Mehdi slips some money into Soukaina’s purse in an effort to help her. The team plays their fifth match, and they win! However, the celebrations are marred by Mostapha’s failure to appear. Younes is angry with Mostapha; Samir tries to calm him down and finally Mostapha arrives and explains that he had been ill. Simo is unhappy with his new job and argues with his parents. Soukaina tries to intervene, and the money Mehdi gave her falls to the ground. Simo hits her. Their father responds by slapping Simo and in the end Simo realizes what he must do; he goes to see Hamid and quits his job.

Revelations (8)

A shared secret between Mehdi and Mostapha makes Omar angry, as he feels ignored by his father. Abdellah, Samir’s father, is invited to visit his children abroad. Mehdi’s mother plans a birthday party for her husband. Meanwhile, Omar advises Mehdi that if he invites the team out to an expensive restaurant they might be kinder to him. The plan works, but Omar becomes jealous of Mehdi’s relationship with his father Mostapha and cruelly points out the table where Mehdi’s father is sitting, rather intimately, with another woman. Mehdi confronts his father and they argue in the restaurant, before returning home for the birthday party.

Stealing (9)

Mehdi is driving his father’s car with Samir and Omar when he gets stopped by the police. Unfortunately, Mehdi does not have his license with him and all three get taken to the police station to wait for their fathers to pick them up. Mehdi’s father is forced to collect him by the police, while the other two remain waiting. Samir’s father Abdullah is refused a visa to visit his children abroad; he is disappointed and angry as he goes to collect Samir from the police station. Mostapha, who is at the team’s sixth match, is thrilled to see Samir and Mehdi make it in time to play. Yet, though aware that his son is still at the police station, he does not go to collect him until the game is almost over. Both father and son are disappointed in each other. In the background, Samir’s family is crumbling as both his mother and brother Simo consider leaving. At the end of the game, Mehdi’s Ipod is mistakenly placed in Samir’s bag.

Accusations (10)

Samir’s mother has left the house after Abdellah’s cruelty and things are falling apart. Mehdi is searching for his missing Ipod when it is discovered in Samir’s bag. Mehdi accuses Samir of theft. Disaster strikes when the football field is closed to the team on the orders of Mehdi’s father who plans to develop the area commercially. Everyone is angry with Mehdi and they decide to go to the local government. To make matters worse, Mostapha makes Mehdi captain of the team and Samir storms out in anger. During the game Mehdi and Samir refuse to play together and so the team loses. Afterwards, Samir finds his mother, but she refuses to return home. A local government official hears about the team and after watching them play promises to help them.

Dilemmas and Addressing Conflicts (11)

The fight between Samir and Mehdi is affecting the team’s performance and the fans decide to leave. Meanwhile Mostapha’s old boss Bouchaib recruits Samir to play on his football team. After yet another loss, the team blames Samir and Mehdi, , and Soukaina forces them to face each other and their problem. After a scuffle the two decide to work together as teammates, but not friends, and they apologize to Mostapha. Mostapha attempts to explain to them that football is about more than winning – it is about community and brotherhood. On returning to practice Samir realizes that his father has told everyone he is trying out for Bouchaib’s team. Saida, Samir’s mother, is back at home, but Abdullah is struggling to make amends.

Alliances (12)

Mostapha thinks the players need a break so he arranges a picnic for the whole team. Wanting to spend more time with Soukaina, Mehdi asks for Omar’s help. Soukaina has an upsetting argument with her friend over marriage, studies and wearing the hijab (head scarf). At the picnic, Samir and Mehdi continue their competition until Mehdi saves Samir’s life. Later when Soukaina and Mehdi meet to study, Samir is present and the two begin realizing they have more in common than expected. Behind the scenes, Simo’s behavior is spiraling out of control as his family finds drugs in his bag and the argument becomes physical.

Corruption (13)

Mehdi’s father suffers a heart attack when he is accused of corruption by the government and is now under investigation. Many of Mehdi’s friends now abandon him in his hour of need, but Soukaina proves herself a kind and loyal friend. Samir begins trials for the new team and falls out briefly with Mehdi over a girl he likes. The Team wins their game and all of the players celebrate. At the end of the episode, Mostapha is given back the field for the team to practice and he begins cleaning it up. Soon he is joined by all of the players and the rest of the neighborhood.

Pressures (14)

Mehdi is suffering from depression with his father still in the hospital. Omar suggests a party would lift his friend’s spirits. Mehdi agrees and they begin planning. However, Soukaina is banned from attending by Samir, who, although friends with Mehdi, harbors a distrust of the wealthy based on stereotypes. When he later finds out Soukaina is at the party, he confronts her and finds his assumptions were wrong. Samir himself is working hard to get into better physical shape and has decided to leave the team to play for Bouchaib, since it is a better club with more future opportunities. The other players mock Samir for his choice, telling him he is aiming too high.

Ups and Downs (15)

Samir’s father Abdullah is happy when he finds a new and secure job. However, he is unwilling to help his son, Simo, find work with the company, afraid that it would jeopardize the situation. Samir is training hard for tryouts, but the other players have turned against him feeling betrayed. A new and talented player Gabriel arrives. He is an illegal immigrant from Senegal and only speaks French. The other players do not treat him kindly; they are jealous and decide to take their anger out on Mostapha. Without a place to live, Gabriel is invited to stay with Samir. Meanwhile, Mehdi discovers the depth of his father’s corruption and refuses to move to Dubai when asked. At the end of the episode, Mehdi and Gabriel go to watch Samir’s tryouts in a show of support, but when they arrive they find out that Samir has been cut from the list.

Derailed (16)

Mehdi’s mother confesses to her son that she is suffering from depression and asks to meet the girl in his life. Mehdi arranges a dinner with Soukaina, but it does not go well. Bouchaib watches the team practice and Mostapha confronts him. It becomes clear that Bouchaib is still holding a grudge and that his main priority is to ensure the failure of the team. Mehdi’s mother apologizes for her behavior and returns to the doctors to seek treatment for her condition. Throughout the episode a search is underway as no one can find Omar.

Separation (17)

The episode begins with the team winning a great 4-0 victory, largely due to the talent of the new player Gabriel. During the celebrations, Mostapha has to step in and make sure the party does not disturb the neighbors. Mostapha attempts to rebuild his relationship with his son, Omar, who he finds is living with his uncle. Although cold at the beginning, Omar eventually shows a willingness to reconcile with his father, but he refuses to leave his uncle and return home right away. Samir fails to make the new team. He realizes that Bouchaib was only using him to break up the team, and is left devastated.

Therapies (18)

Mehdi’s mother returns from the hospital and his father has her followed. His jealousy gets the better of him when he mistakes her meeting with a gallery owner for an affair. The situation with Simo has worsened; he is now in an asylum. Soukaina goes to Simo, begging him to come home. He responds with brutal violence, much to his family’s dismay. Meanwhile, Samir is having a hard time reintegrating into the team.

Battles (19)

The episode begins with Simo on the run from the police. Gabriel refuses the opportunity to join Bouchaib’s team, as the original team is now his family. However, he is tempted to leave when promised a residency visa in Morocco. The team ends up in a dispute after an argument with an elderly neighbor over the volume of their music. The police become involved and Samir is hurt. In other matters, Soukaina’s parents arrange for her to meet a young man as a potential husband. Soukaina is against the idea of arranged marriages and refuses the young man’s offer; however, Mehdi has already been told of Soukaina’s engagement.

In Custody (20)

Simo is arrested. While under interrogation he is obviously not in a clear state of mind and gives the names of team members, including Omar and his accomplices/friends. Gabriel is now playing for Bouchaib’s team Annajma, where he is unhappy, but Bouchaib assures him that he will get his visa if he keeps scoring goals. The team tries to come up with a strategy to succeed after losing Gabriel. Mehdi decides to go in search of Hamza, who had previously left the team because of Mehdi. His plan works; the two reconcile and Hamza rejoins the team. Soukaina’s suitor finally leaves of his own volition when hearing of Simo’s imprisonment. In the end, Mostapha rushes to Omar’s aid, furious with Simo for implicating his son.

Compromise (21)

Mehdi’s father helps get Simo out of prison, while Omar returns home with Mostapha ,who now vows to be a better and more attentive father. Others are still shocked by the trouble Omar fell into with drugs and Mehdi is now considering leaving to go away for school as his father advised him. A journalist arrives wishing to tell Mostapha’s story about the team. The team plays a great game and wins the fair-play prize, much to Mostapha’s joy. He dedicates the award to the members and his son, with whom he has reconciled. At the end of the episode, Mehdi confesses his love to Soukaina.

Celebrities (22)

The episode starts with all the team members watching the journalist’s report on TV. It then follows Mehdi’s story, where he tells his father of his wish to become a doctor. Mehdi is then shown working with Soukaina to set up an educational facility for disadvantaged children in the neighborhood. Omar’s relationship with his father is going well as the two go jogging together and Mostapha fulfills his promise of being more attentive. Towards the end of the episode, Bouchaib is shamed into agreeing to a match between the team and Annajma during an interview with the local journalist. Mostapha is thrilled and excited to start preparing the players. At the end of the episode, we see Simo helping a young girl to read in Soukaina’s learning center.

Time for Thinking (23)

Mostapha focuses on training for the big match. At the same time, Mehdi has run away from home and his parents visit Samir and Soukaina’s house in despair. Soukaina, Samir’s sister, meets with Mehdi and convinces him to speak with his parents to communicate his wishes and perhaps gain their understanding. Meanwhile, Mehdi’s father has sought the sound advice of Mostapha and is ready to speak with his son when he calls. After resolving his problems with his parents, Mehdi arranges to meet Soukaina for a coffee. But Samir, in his effort to find Mehdi, see the two together in the café. Meanwhile, Simo is back at the educational center and begins enjoying his role as teacher to the children.

Regulations (24)

The episode opens as Mehdi and Samir fight over his secret meeting with Soukaina. Mostapha enlists the help of the neighborhood women to prepare for the big game, so that everyone can come and watch. Simo develops a great idea for a company that would provide private classes to struggling children. He initially refuses the money his father offers to help, aware that it is borrowed, but eventually relents and establishes his organization. Things do not improve between Samir, Soukaina and Mehdi. Soukaina informs Mehdi that she can no longer see him and tries to make amends with Samir. Mehdi apologizes to his friend, but to no avail. Samir will not forgive either of them. At the end of the episode, the big match is about to begin and the whole neighborhood is there to watch.

Friendships (25)

At the beginning of the episode, Younes is involved in a scooter accident and ends up in the hospital with a concussion two days before the game. Meanwhile, Bouchaib tries in vain to convince his players not to participate in the big match, claiming that the terrain is dangerous. The team is worried about Younes as well as the match. They visit him in the hospital, where Mehdi’s father offers to pay his medical bills. Much to the chagrin of Bouchaib, his team goes to the neighborhood and spends some time helping the community make arrangements, signing autographs and having a great time. A group of young girls from the neighborhood seek out Samir and ask him to coach a football team for them. At first, Samir laughs at them, but after they persist he takes them seriously. The episode comes to an end with the stressed relationship between Samir and Mehdi in question.

The Big Match (26)

On the day of the big match, spirits are low as Younes has fallen into a coma and Samir and Mehdi continue to argue. However, Samir decides to play despite his feelings towards Mehdi. Mostapha tries to keep everything together and while speaking with the journalists he gives credit for the big match to Bouchaib, who is thankful and surprised, finally overcoming his resentment towards Mostapha. The game begins and both sides are playing well, although it is clear that Gabriel does not want to give 100 percent, angering Bouchaib. At the same time, Samir and Mehdi bring their personal fight onto the field, which ends in Samir punching Mehdi in the middle of the game. Once sent off the field, the two are able to calmly talk about their problems, returning to the game and giving it their all. In the end, Mostapha’s team wins, amid much celebration. The series comes to a close as Samir is recruited by another professional team, but promises the girls to honor his word and coach their team. Samir is seen walking away from the game with Mehdi and Soukaina, smiling.

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