After the unprecedented feat in the World Cup (Qatar 2022), Moroccan football continues to shine. Continuing this victorious dynamic, the year 2024 was marked in particular by the historic bronze medal won at the Olympic Games (Paris 2024).
Indeed, this remarkable feat of the Atlas Lion Cubs is particularly symbolic for Morocco, now a world football power, thanks to the efforts deployed at all levels. With an overwhelming victory against Egypt in the classification match (6-0), the Olympic national team, then coached by Tarik Sektioui, completed its participation in the Paris Olympics, marked by performances praised by sports analysts, in the most beautiful way. On a continental scale, the elimination of the national team A in the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations (CAN Ivory Coast 2023), while it was one of the main favorites for the coronation, was certainly difficult to take. However, the Atlas Lions were still able to maintain control of the FIFA rankings in Africa, finishing the year ranked 14th in the world. The Atlas Lions also flew through the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2025 CAN with victories in all matches played in 2024.
Good performance in continental interclub competitions At club level, the Berkane Renaissance reached the final of the CAF Cup, beaten by Zamalek of Egypt, at the end of a brilliant run in this competition African. The RSB, winner of the CAF Cup in 2020 and 2022, has continued to establish itself, for years, as one of the strongest and formidable teams in Africa, regularly reaching very advanced rounds during continental competitions and competing with historic teams on the Continent. For its part, AS FAR reached the final of the CAF Women’s Champions League, which took place in November in Morocco. Champion of the LDC in 2022, the military team has established itself, over the years, as one of the best women’s teams in Africa. Sacred at the expense of AS FAR, the title of TP Mazembe was tinged with a Moroccan touch. Indeed, it was the very brilliant Moroccan coach, Lamia Boumehdi, who developed the brand new architecture of the Congolese club to win this trophy for the first time in its history. This feat allowed Boumehdi to win the title of best women’s football coach in Africa at the 2024 CAF Awards. Excellent performances among youth and in futsal In addition, Morocco also distinguished itself in the North African Football Union (UNAF) tournaments, in the U20 and U17 categories. Among the U20s, the Moroccan selection achieved a remarkable performance, finishing at the top of the ranking with 10 points, confirming its regional supremacy and obtaining, at the same time, its ticket for the CAN. The U17s also ensured their qualification for the CAN at the end of the UNAF tournament, demonstrating their great potential and the quality of Moroccan football training. National futsal, for its part, had a particularly successful year with a third consecutive coronation in the African Cup of Nations for Hicham Dguig’s men and qualification for the quarter-final of the World Cup. Infrastructures widely tested In addition to the successes of national football in terms of performance, the year which is ending has confirmed the reputation of the Kingdom as a host country for the largest continental and international events. December 11 will remain a historic date in the annals of national sport, with the official designation of Morocco, Spain and Portugal as host countries of the 2030 World Cup. The year 2024 was also marked by the announcement of the award to Morocco of the organization of the next five editions (2025-2029) of the U17 women’s World Cup, as well as the U17 men’s CAN. Morocco, which also hosted the CAF Awards ceremony in 2024 for the 3rd consecutive year as well as the African Women’s Champions League, is establishing itself more than ever as an essential football destination thanks to its many assets, its quality infrastructure and its accumulated experience in organizing major sporting events. The different stages reached by Moroccan football, both in terms of the performances of the selections and clubs and in terms of the organization of the biggest competitions, testify to the efforts made, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, to promote national football and establish it as one of the pillars of development.
