A true pillar of Morocco’s national football ecosystem, the Mohammed VI Football Academy has established itself as a structured and sustainable talent pool, consistently supplying Moroccan clubs and the national team, while an increasing number of its graduates are making their mark at Europe’s top clubs, the BBC writes on its website.
Located in Salé, on the outskirts of Rabat, the Mohammed VI Academy features world-class training pitches, dormitories, study halls and medical centers, according to the BBC, which notes that Morocco has invested heavily, particularly in football infrastructure, developing the most advanced facilities in Africa. These facilities will host, starting Sunday, the final stages of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025).
The Mohammed VI Academy and the Mohammed VI Training Complex host youth and senior national teams, both men’s and women’s, combining elite-level training, education, accommodation and sports science, the BBC continues.
The broadcaster underscores that the level reached by Moroccan football is the result of years of strategic planning and a long-term national project backed by the highest authorities in the Kingdom.
The rise of Moroccan football is therefore no accident, the same source notes, while also assessing the Atlas Lions’ chances of winning this year’s AFCON.
When the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday, host nation Morocco hopes the tournament will mark the culmination of an ambitious long-term project aimed at making the Kingdom the continent’s leading football power, the British broadcaster estimates.
Morocco has not won the African title since 1976 in Ethiopia, the BBC recalls, highlighting a long wait that stands in stark contrast to the national team’s recent successes on the international stage.
"It is difficult to explain. It is something you feel deep in your heart," midfielder Sofyan Amrabat told the BBC. "I’m really looking forward to this AFCON, especially because it’s being played at home. And of course, we hope it will be ours," added the 29-year-old, expressing his pride in representing his country. "Every time I wear the Moroccan jersey, it’s an incredible feeling."
The former Manchester United player was one of the key figures in Morocco’s historic run at the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to reach the semifinals of the tournament, the media outlet concludes.
