How Morocco became a football powerhouse

Sports across Africa, much like other sectors, faces enormous challenges, often showing periods of progress, only to perhaps falter later. Which is why it was so interesting to see a recent New York Times article hailing Morocco as a ‘burgeoning football superpower’. 

Football is the continent’s most popular sport and its seen growth in both talent and the level of its tournaments, but there hasn’t been a World Cup in Africa since South Africa hosted the event in 2010. That’s all about to change with Morocco having won the bid to host the global competition (along with Spain and Portugal) in 2034. 

For a country not as decorated as Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria in terms of trophies and appearances at major tournaments, Morocco shook the world at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they finished above Croatia, Belgium and Canada in the group stage. The Atlas Lions then went on to eliminate Spain and Portugal, becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals — 36 years after they made history as the first African team to finish top of a World Cup group and to advance to the knockout stage in 1986.

Although Morocco missed out on a podium finish after losses to France (in the semis) and Croatia (in the third-place play-off), their groundbreaking performance opened new doors for the country’s football trajectory and hinted at even more to come in the years ahead. 

About six months after the men’s historic campaign in Qatar, the Moroccan women’s national team (Atlas Lionesses) replicated history. They became the first Arab women’s team and the first North African women’s team to reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

So how did Morocco get here?  

Off the pitch, Morocco’s state-of-the-art facilities and robust infrastructure have earned them attention as a prime location for major tournaments. I’ve had the privilege of seeing first-hand the incredible set-up at the King Mohammed VI Football Complex, on the outskirts of Rabat. Inaugurated in 2019, it is one of the most amazing state-of the-art sporting facilities in the world, not just the continent. It covers an area of 2.5km squared and boasts a school, medical center and four pitches.  

After hosting the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2023, all other imminent competitions in Africa are destined for the North African country. 2025 is no different with the year shaping up to be a dynamic one for African football, with a packed schedule of tournaments and events. The action kicks off on January 27 in Rabat, with the draw for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), where the 24 qualified teams will learn their group-stage opponents. March brings another highlight, as Morocco hosts the U17 CAN, and the year culminates with the highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations men’s competition in Morocco.

Could home advantage make it Morocco’s year to lift a trophy! 

*Kieran Baker is an Emmy award winning journalist who has started up various networks including Al Jazeera English, Bloomberg TV Africa and TRT World.