Morocco, the country that shines in sports in Africa
Morocco, which managed to become the first country from the African continent to reach the semi-finals in World Cup history, made a name for itself with its sporting achievements, especially in soccer.
Demonstrating a successful chart at the national team level and on a club basis on the African continent, Morocco is working to maximize its success in sports. The Moroccan government, which invests heavily in sport, supports the country’s athletes to participate in the management of world federations.
THE SUCCESS OF MOROCCO IN FOOTBALL IN 2022
Qatar’s fourth-place finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup stands out as Morocco’s crowning achievement in 2022.
In May 2022, the Vidad football team from Morocco won the Champion Clubs Cup by defeating the El-Ehli team from Egypt 2-0 in the final match in Casablanca. Another Moroccan football club, RS Berkane, won the Confederations Africa Cup by defeating South Africa’s Orlando Pirates 5-4 on penalties in the match, which ended 0-0 in regular time and 1-1 after extra time.
In September 2022, RS Berkane won the African Super Cup by beating Vidad 2-0 in the match played in the capital Rabat. The Morocco national soccer team won the Arab Cup and the Continental League title in 2022. The Morocco Women’s National Soccer Team also placed second in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The FAR Rabat Women’s Football Club won the Women’s African Champions League for the first time in 2022. The Morocco National Under-17 Football Team placed second in the Arab Cup, and the Under-18 National Team placed third in the Mediterranean Games.
THERE ARE 312,000 LICENSED ATHLETES IN MOROCCO
In 2022, the number of athletes in 57 sports, 26 of which are women, reached 312,000 in Morocco.
The Ministry of Sports organized numerous tournaments in various sports branches in 41 provinces in 2022. In Morocco, the Ministry of Sports has allocated 150 million dirhams (15 million dollars) per year to build nearby stadiums (children’s playgrounds in the neighborhoods).
The Government has allocated a budget of 2,000 million dirhams (200 million dollars) to the sports sector in 2023, of which 1,800 million are for investment.
Morocco has been nominated to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations received from Guinea.
THE STRUGGLE OF MOROCCO ATHLETES IN BRANCHES OUTSIDE FOOTBALL
At the Islamic Solidarity Games held in Konya from August 9 to 18, 2022, Moroccan athletes won a total of 61 medals, 13 gold, 14 bronze and 34 bronze. Morocco finished the games in sixth place in the general classification.
At the 2022 Mediterranean Games held in Oran, Algeria, Morocco won 33 medals, 3 of which were gold, in various sports, ranking 14th. In athletics, Sufyan Al-Bakali won a gold medal in the running 3000 m hurdles at the World Championships in Athletics. (AA)