Football in Morocco

Football is the most popular sport in Morocco. The governing body of Moroccan football is the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.[1] Football in Morocco has witnessed significant development in recent years, with increased international fame. Morocco hosted the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup, in which Moroccan team Raja reached the final, finishing runners-up to German Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich.[2] The most popular clubs in the country are Raja Casablanca, Wydad Casablanca and ASFAR.

Football in Morocco
Governing bodyRoyal Moroccan Football Federation
National team(s)Men's national football team, Women's national football team
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

The Morocco national football team have won the 1976 African Cup of Nations, two African Nations Championships, and the FIFA Arab Cup once. They have participated in the FIFA World Cup six times.[3][4][5] Their best result came in the 2022 World Cup, when they became the first African and Arab national team to reach the semi-finals.[6]

National competitions
Main article: Botola
Main article: List of football stadiums in Morocco
Main article: Botola 2
Main article: Amateur National Championship (Moroccan football)

Botola

Nationally, professional football is divided into 2 leagues: the top-tier GNF 1 and the second-tier GNF 2. The top-tier league is known as the Botola. 19 of 31 clubs have managed to win the league: Wydad AC (17), AS FAR (13), Raja CA (12), Maghreb Fes (4), KAC Kenitra (4), Kawkab Marrakech (2), Hassania Agadir (2), Moghreb Tétouan (2), FUS Rabat (1), Olympique Khouribga (1), Racing de Casablanca (1), Renaissance de Settat (1), IR Tanger (1), Olympique de Casablanca (1), Mouloudia Oujda (1), CODM de Meknès (1), Chabab Mohammédia (1), Raja de Beni Mellal (1), and Étoile de Casablanca (1).

Coupe du Trône
Main article: Moroccan Throne Cup

The Moroccan Throne Cup is a football cup competition in Morocco open to both professional and amateur squads. 18 clubs have won the cup: AS FAR (12), Wydad Casablanca (9), Raja Casablanca (8), FUS de Rabat (6), Kawkab Marrakesh (6), MAS Fès (4), Mouloudia Oujda (4), Renaissance Berkane (3), Olympique Casablanca (3), Olympique Khouribga (2), Chabab Mohammédia (2), Difaa El Jadida (1), KAC Kenitra (1), Renaissance de Settat (1), CODM Meknès (1), Racing Casablanca (1), TAS Casablanca (1), and Majd Casablanca (1).

International competitions

Morocco men's national football team
Main article: Morocco national football team

The Morocco national football team, nicknamed Lions de l'Atlas (Atlas Lions), is the national team of Morocco and is controlled by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. They were the first African team to qualify directly for the World Cup finals, doing so in 1970. They were also the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and England in 1986. Morocco fell to eventual runner-up West Germany 1-0 in the second round.[7] In 2022 Morocco finished top of Group F, ahead of Croatia, Belgium and Canada. In the Round of 16, they beat Spain in a penalty shootout, becoming the first Arab country to reach the quarter-finals. The Atlas Lions then defeated Portugal by one goal, before bowing out to France in a close-fought semi-final .[8]

Morocco won the African Nations Cup once, in 1976.[9] They also won the African Nations Championship in 2018 and 2020, making them the first nation to win back-to-back titles.[10][11][12]

Morocco women's national football team
Main article: Morocco women's national football team

The Morocco women's national football team represents Morocco in international women's football and is controlled by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.[13] The team played its first international match in 1998, as part of the 3rd African Women's Championship. In the 14th edition of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, the Morocco women's team managed to secure a silver medal after a 2-1 loss against South Africa in the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.[14] They also qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and will be the first Arab country ever to participate in the Women's World Cup.[15][16] In their first participation in the FIFA Women's World Cup, They placed 2nd after losing 6-0 to Germany,[17] winning 1-0 against South Korea and winning 1-0 against Colombia.[18][19] This qualified them to the Knock-out stages.[20]

Clubs

Moroccan clubs are the second most decorated in African competitions with 24 titles: 1 African Cup Winners' Cup, 2 CAF Cup, 7 CAF Confederation Cup, 7 CAF Champions League, 5 CAF Super Cup and 2 Afro-Asian Club Championship.

Largest Moroccan football stadiums
Image Stadium Capacity Opened City Club
Stade Mohamed V45,000[21]1955CasablancaMoroccan team
Raja Casablanca
Wydad Casablanca
Ibn Batouta Stadium65,000[22]2011TangerIR Tanger
Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium53,000[23]1983RabatMoroccan team
FAR Rabat
Adrar Stadium45,4802013AgadirHassania Agadir
Marrakesh Stadium45,2402011MarrakechKAC Marrakech
Fez Stadium45,0002007FesMaghreb de Fès
Wydad de Fès

References
  1. Alami, Aida (2012-05-09). "Morocco Struggles to Rein in Soccer Hooligans". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  2. Cummings, Michael. "Raja Casablanca vs. Bayern Munich: Club World Cup Final Score, Grades, Reaction". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  3. "African Nations Championship". RSSSF. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  4. "African Nations Cup". RSSSF. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  5. "Arab Cup". RSSSF. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  6. "More than half of Morocco's squad were born overseas. Will their success see more diaspora players follow?". ABC News. 12 December 2022.
  7. "World Cup Soccer Roundup : Morocco Gains the Second Round in a Stunner - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 1986-06-12. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  8. "More than half of Morocco's squad were born overseas. Will their success see more diaspora players follow?". ABC News. December 12, 2022 – via www.abc.net.au.
  9. "BBC SPORT | Football | African Cup of Nations | Morocco rise again". BBC News. 2004-02-06. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  10. Blitz, Sam. "World Cup 2022: Morocco 1-0 Portugal: Youssef En-Nesyri scores winner as Cristiano Ronaldo exits Qatar tournament". CNBC. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  11. Ronald, Issy (2022-12-10). "Morocco becomes first ever African team to reach World Cup semifinals with historic victory over Portugal". CNN. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  12. "'Heart-warming': Morocco becomes first African team in WC semi-finals". euronews. 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  13. "Morocco's Women's World Cup team reaps investment rewards – DW – 07/25/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  14. "Can Morocco 'do something big' at Women's World Cup?". BBC Sport.
  15. "South Africa beat Morocco to win first Wafcon title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  16. Okogba, Emmanuel (2022-07-23). "South Africa beat Morocco to win first WAFCON title". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  17. Glendenning, Barry (2023-07-24). "Germany 6-0 Morocco: Women's World Cup 2023 – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  18. Staff writer (2023-07-30). "Morocco clinch first Women's World Cup win to put South Korea on brink of exit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  19. "Morocco stun S Korea to earn first World Cup win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  20. "Morocco make history, reach Women's World Cup knockout stage". CAF. 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  21. "Stade Mohamed V – StadiumDB.com". stadiumdb.com.
  22. The Stadium currently has 65,000 after the renovation for hosting the FIFA Club World Cup 2022, construction has been finished as of 23rd January.
  23. "Complexe Sportif Moulay Abdallah - Rabat - the Stadium Guide".
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