sport news Joe Cole leads the praise for Said Benrahma after his impressive showing in ... trends now 'He could be a hero forever': Joe Cole leads the praise for Said Benrahma after his impressive showing in Conference League semi-final first leg, as Owen Hargreaves brands the forward West Ham's 'star player' following the game Benrahma scored West Ham's equaliser from the penalty spot in the second half The Hammers struggled early on but grew into the game and took the win The will play the second leg in Holland next week for a place in the final By Lewis Browning For Mailonline Published: 23:21 BST, 11 May 2023 | Updated: 23:21 BST, 11 May 2023 Viewcomments Joe Cole led the praise for West Ham's Said Benrahma for his performance in West Ham's first leg Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar. The Hammers will take a 2-1 lead into the second leg in Holland next week after Michail Antonio scored a winner from close range at the London Stadium. Benrahma equalised from the penalty spot in a much-improved second half from David Moyes' side after a disappointing first period as they sat off their opponents. The Algerian was the Hammers' star player in the game, converting the spot kick in a game in which he impressed from the wide midfield position, proving a constant threat. Cole praised Benrahma on punditry for BT Sport after the game, suggesting he could be 'a hero forever' if he leads his side to a European final. Joe Cole insisted Said Benrahma could be 'a hero forever' after his performance for West Ham The forward scored the Hammers' equaliser against AZ Alkmaar from the penalty spot Cole said Benrahma 'had his full-back on toast all game' in what was a match of two halves 'He had his fullback on toast all game,' he said. 'He draws players to him and he’s got the quality. 'He’ll draw players to him because he has the ability. I’ve always been a fan of his. He could be a hero forever after tonight.' Owen Hargreaves and Carlton Cole echoed their colleague's views, praising Benrahma for standing up in the semi-final. Owen Hargreaves (left) said Benrahma was West Ham's best player, while Carlton Cole (right) praised the Algerian for 'standing up and being counted' West Ham will now take a slender 2-1 lead into the second leg in Holland next week 'The boys on commentary mentioned he was the best player and he was,' Hargreaves said. 'He’s the one that played with the most urgency. No one could really live with him. 'He was always running at people and with his ability. He’s really hard to play against, his team mates kept feeding him.' Cole added: 'He had bad decision making in the first half. It wasn’t all his fault. But they kept feeding him and he was in the mood. 'He did really well. For me he is one of the players that can turn it on or be marked out the game. Today he stood up and was counted.' Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility