Latest news with #MehdiElQaichouri
Morocco World
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
CAF Drops New Slogan for Women's AFCON 2024 in Morocco
The Confederation of African Football has unveiled the official slogan for the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. 'Born Winners' is the tagline, and it's all about pride and power. The slogan celebrates the fierce, trailblazing women who are rewriting African football – not just on the pitch, but in every corner of the game from players, coaches, fans, to referees and media. CAF says Born Winners is a statement, a nod to African women's resilience, grit, and the refusal to be sidelined in sport or in society. 'From the streets of Dakar to the stadiums of Johannesburg,' the campaign declares, African women are 'rising, relentlessly and fearlessly,' wrote CAF. The 2024 Women's AFCON, sponsored by TotalEnergies, promises to celebrate not just footballing talent but a movement of legacy, ambition, and change. The slogan hammers home three pillars: Resilience to rise even when the odds say otherwise, ambition to strive to smash ceilings on and off the pitch, and leaving a legacy behind not just by winning more medals but also by changing lives. The 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, running this month from July 5 to 26, marks Morocco's second straight time hosting the Women's AFCON, with the 2026 edition already in the bag. King Mohammed VI is personally invested in uplifting women's football. The ambition is to build on the momentum of 2022, when the Atlas Lionesses reached the final ahead of a massive 50,000-strong crowd at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Clubs like FUS Rabat and AS FAR are spearheading the shift. FUS Rabat's coach Mehdi El Qaichouri told the BBC that he believes this tournament could ignite a new wave of interest among young Moroccan girls, encouraging them to take football seriously and chase the dream of professional play – or even earning a national team call‑up. AS FAR might still dominate domestically, but competition is heating up. Across the board, more clubs are establishing women's sections, reflecting a larger national strategy that Morocco has put in place to steadily transform its women's game and lay a foundation that could influence football across Africa. 'It is the will of the club, the whole country and His Majesty the King to develop women's football in Morocco,' he added in the BBC interview. 'The project is quite fresh, and the desire is there. That's a big strength.' Tags: afconWAFCON MoroccoWomen's AFCON
Morocco World
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
BBC: Morocco's Football Ambitions Evident Through WAFCON
Marrakech – Morocco is establishing itself as a football powerhouse in Africa, with the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) showcasing the North African country's growing influence in the sport. The tournament runs from July 5-26, marking Morocco's second consecutive hosting of the event, with rights already secured for the 2026 edition as well. According to BBC Sport Africa, this represents just a fraction of Morocco's wider aspirations in continental and global football, with King Mohammed VI taking active interest in these developments. The nation aims to improve on its previous tournament performance, where the Atlas Lionesses finished second in 2022. 'The next WAFCON will generate even more enthusiasm,' Mehdi El Qaichouri, coach of top-flight women's side FUS Rabat, told the British broadcaster. 'It might trigger young girls to start playing officially or dream of being a professional and, why not, one day be part of our national team.' FUS Rabat trains near Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which attracted an African record crowd of 50,000 at the 2022 WAFCON final where Morocco fell 2-1 to South Africa. While AS FAR currently dominates with their 12th title, El Qaichouri anticipates increased competition ahead. 'It is the will of the club, the whole country and His Majesty the King to develop women's football in Morocco,' he added in the BBC interview. 'The project is quite fresh and the desire is there. More and more clubs are opening women's sections. That's a big strength.' FUS goalkeeper Kawtar Bentaleb, who helped Morocco become continental futsal champions this year, observed the transformation in comments to the BBC: 'It didn't use to be given any attention. [Tournaments] being hosted in Morocco, whether it's for women or men, will make us progress.' 'Younger generations really have all the infrastructure and support they need to develop themselves. I urge them to take full advantage of all the structures put in place, because they can only benefit,' Bentaleb stated to the British news organization. Billions poured into Morocco's sporting future The BBC notes that beyond WAFCON, Morocco is preparing to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) beginning in December. Major investments are directed toward infrastructure as the country also prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The British media outlet reports that plans include expanding airport capacity from 38 million to 80 million passengers in the next four and a half years, and extending high-speed train networks to Marrakech and further south to Agadir. Some 45 stadiums and training facilities are undergoing renovation or expansion. The most prominent project, according to the BBC report, is the construction of the 115,000-capacity Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca. 'Morocco is not like it used to be – it is developing at a very fast rate,' one visitor to a souk in Rabat told the BBC. 'They've been building multiple projects and making sure the infrastructure is ready. Now things are being built faster so [God willing] it will all be ready on time for AFCON and for the World Cup.' David Azuelos, who owns a guest house in Rabat, expressed optimism about tourism prospects in his interview with the British broadcaster: 'We'd like to welcome people from all over the world and people who don't know Morocco. Since the announcement of future events, everyone's into sport and football. We hope the women's tournament will have as much impact as the men's.' BBC resorts to Western tropes but admits Morocco's football rise The BBC Sport Africa coverage can't resist pointing out that Casablanca's Grand Stadium alone carries a $500 million price tag—framing it as an extravagant splurge while some communities are still recovering from the Al Haouz earthquake in 2023. High taxation rates contribute to funding these ambitious national projects, the BBC claims with its usual condescending tone, harping on the 37% tax imposed on annual personal income over MAD 180,000 ($18,000). Predictably, the British broadcaster parrots Amnesty International's tired accusations, peddling a narrative of 'relentless repression' and 'criminalization' of dissent. This familiar Western posturing conveniently ignores Morocco's remarkable progress, choosing instead to smear the country with sensationalist clichés that reek of hypocrisy and a colonial reflex to lecture others. The report suggests the King's passion for football and World Cup-related projects influences public discourse. BBC Sport Africa also notes that in February, a trade union official criticized government policies for 'widening economic disparity' in Morocco, where recent census data revealed 21.3% unemployment. Despite these challenges, the investment in football development could prove worthwhile if the Atlas Lionesses secure the WAFCON trophy in Rabat on July 26, according to the BBC. 'In the last four years, I feel like I've seen a shift in the change of investment, in taking women's football seriously, not only in Morocco but across Africa as well,' forward Rosella Ayane told the BBC's Africa Daily podcast. 'Morocco is really leading the way. The football centre in Rabat (the Mohammed VI Complex) is probably one of the best around the world. It's like anything in life. [If] you invest your time, money and resources, then it's only going to improve,' Ayane concluded in the BBC interview. Tags: BBCMoroccan footballWAFCON
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Morocco eyes next step to become football superpower
Morocco has established itself as the home of women's football in Africa and over the next month its national team will look to realise its burgeoning potential on the pitch while the country continues to advance at pace off kingdom plays host to the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) from 5-26 July, having also staged the 2022 finals and been named as the destination for the 2026 is just the tip of the iceberg, given the fact that high-profile men's tournaments also loom on the horizon and hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on large infrastructure North African nation is aiming high on both football's continental and global stage - with King Mohammed VI, a big football fan, taking a keen interest in next challenge is for the Atlas Lionesses to go one better than their second-placed Wafcon finish on home soil three years the ripples from this tournament could be felt in the women's game and beyond for years to come."The next Wafcon will generate even more enthusiasm," Mehdi El Qaichouri, the coach of top flight women's side FUS Rabat told BBC Sport Africa."It might trigger young girls to start playing officially or dream of being a professional and, why not, one day be part of our national team." A boost to the local game FUS Rabat train in the shadow of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which attracted an African record crowd of 50,000 to the 2022 Wafcon final as Morocco were beaten 2-1 by South side finished fourth in the Moroccan Women's Championship last season as cross-capital rivals AS FAR scooped up their 12th title. The army club may dominate for now, but El Qaichouri anticipates more competition in the future."It is the will of the club, the whole country and His Majesty the King to develop women's football in Morocco," he added."The project is quite fresh and the desire is there."More and more clubs are opening women's sections. That's a big strength."FUS goalkeeper Kawtar Bentaleb, who helped Morocco become continental futsal champions this year, says the women's game has been growing in profile."It didn't use to be given any attention," she added."[Tournaments] being hosted in Morocco, whether it's for women or men, will make us progress."Younger generations really have all the infrastructure and support they need to develop themselves. I urge them to take full advantage of all the structures put in place, because they can only benefit." A country undergoing transformation The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will begin in Morocco in December and large sums are being invested in infrastructure projects as the kingdom prepares to co-host the Fifa World Cup in country plans to expand its airport capacity from 38 million (at the end of 2024) to 80 million passengers in the next four and a half years, while also working to extend its high-speed train network to Marrakech, and further south to Agadir.A total of 45 stadiums and training facilities are undergoing expansion or renovation, with the biggest single development being the construction of the 115,000-capacity Stade Hassan II near Casablanca."Morocco is not like it used to be - it is developing at a very fast rate," one visitor to Rabat's souk told the BBC."They've been building multiple projects and making sure the infrastructure is ready. Now things are being built faster so [God willing] it will all be ready on time for Afcon and for the World Cup."The hospitality sector will also have a chance to profit."We'd like to welcome people from all over the world, and people who don't know Morocco," David Azuelos, the owner of a guest house in the capital, said."Since the announcement of future events, everyone's into sport and football. We hope the women's tournament will have as much impact as the men's." The price of development Building the Stade Hassan II alone is expected to cost $500m, a staggering sum given some communities are still rebuilding after the powerful earthquake which hit Morocco's central region in taxation rates - with all annual personal income over 180,000 dirhams ($19,700) taxed at 37% - are also filling the country's coffers and helping fund infrastructure International notes that Morocco restricts freedom of expression, including through the criminalisation of criticism of Islam, the monarchy and state institutions, and when the BBC toured Rabat earlier this year no-one was prepared to speak on the record about how public finances were being is, in part, because of King Mohammed VI's passion for football and the projects associated with bringing the World Cup back to Africa for the first time in 20 in February a trade union official blamed government policies for "widening economic disparity" in the country, where the most recent census showed that unemployment stood at 21.3%.Morocco has won male youth titles in recent years but will have some major silverware to show for its outlay on footballing development should the Atlas Lionesses lift the Wafcon trophy in Rabat on 26 July."In the last four years I feel like I've seen a shift in the change of investment, in taking women's football seriously, not only in Morocco but across Africa as well," forward Rosella Ayane told the BBC's Africa Daily podcast."Morocco is really leading the way. The football centre in Rabat (the Mohammed VI Complex) is probably one of the best around the world."It's like anything in life. [If] you invest your time, money and resources, then it's only going to improve."
