For its eighth participation in the Olympic men’s football tournament, Morocco arrives at Paris-2024 with a group combining talent and experience, against the backdrop of a historic fourth place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which placed national football at the forefront. Despite the disappointment of the CAN in Ivory Coast, the effect of the Qatari World Cup still leaves an impression and constitutes a source of inspiration for the Lion Cubs of the Atlas, reigning African champions, for whom, from now on, nothing is impossible in the world of football. Of course, the coach of the national Olympic team, Tarik Sektioui, remains reserved when talking about his objectives – which is normal in sport – but he has the necessary ingredients to cause a sensation during these games. “Our first objective is to achieve a good participation and pass the first round. It’s a dream of all the components of the team and we will do everything necessary to make it come true,” said Sektioui, at the beginning of July in Salé, unveiling his list. “The national Olympic team deserves its place at the Paris Olympics and our objective is to do better than previous participations,” he said. In seven participations in the Olympic Games, only the 1972 edition saw Morocco qualify for the second round, unlike the 1964, 1984, 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2012 editions. To achieve his objectives, declared and hidden, the national coach decided to call in reinforcements three players aged over 23, namely Achraf Hakimi, Soufiane Rahimi and Mounir El Kajoui. In addition to these experienced players, he can also count on U23s who have become seasoned with the A team and have gained playing time and confidence. Among the 22 players selected to take part in the Olympics, five were already part of the African U23 champion group which won the qualification ticket and were called up this year for official matches, either as part of CAN-2023 or the final qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. These are Oussama El Azzouzi, Amir Richardson and Bilal El Khannouss, present during the CAN and the qualifying matches, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, who played in Ivory Coast and Oussama Targhalline, called up against Zambia and Congo Brazzaville. On a mental level, which is essential at this level of the competition, the Atlas Lion Cubs arrive with a winning spirit, crowned by a clear qualification for these Olympic Games, after having validated their ticket for the CAN-U23 final, which they ended up winning at home in the most beautiful way. In anticipation of this deadline, the Lion Cubs of the Atlas have increased the number of friendly matches, in order to refine their automatisms and fill their gaps. The last meeting in this context was won by the Moroccan selection against FC Ville Franche Beaujolais, which plays in the French national championship, by 2 goals to 1, last Thursday in Villefranche in the suburbs of Lyon. Previously, the Nationals notably beat Wales 2-0 on March 26 in Antalya, Turkey, drew against Belgium (2-2) on June 2 in Rabat, and lost to Ukraine by 1 goal to 0 on March 22 in Antalya. During the Olympics, the national team will play in Group B with Argentina, Ukraine and Iraq. For its entry into the running, Morocco will face Argentina on July 24 at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium in Saint-Étienne. Certainly, some opponents of the Lion Cubs of the Atlas are preceded by their reputation, inspired by the performances of their A teams, and others seem – wrongly – less well off for the same reason, but in this age category, which usually constitutes the antechamber of seniors, the balance of power sometimes escapes classic analysis and it is the countries which focus on basic work – the submerged part of the iceberg – which are often favored. Based on this, all teams must be respected and all matches must be managed optimally. This is also the vision that Sektioui adopts to approach these Olympics: “at this stage of the competition, all the groups are strong”, he insisted during the press conference presenting his list, affirming that “we must seek victory in this type of competition”. Beyond the immediate challenge which consists, at first glance, of « achieving a good participation and passing the first round », as revealed by coach Sektioui, the participation of the Atlas Lion Cubs in Paris-2024 will partly outline the contours of what will be the national team which will defend in the future the precious legacy of the historic fourth place at the Qatari World Cup. Halfway between the 2022 World Cup, which saw Moroccan football gain its nobility on an international scale, and the CAN-2025 which constitutes an opportunity to win a second continental title which has eluded national football for decades, these Olympic Games (July 26-August 11) will allow us to sketch out the next generation who will carry the hopes of a Moroccan public eager to see the quality of national football rewarded by trophies.
