BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK

As Morocco proudly fly Africa’s flag as the continent’s sole remaining representative at the FIFA World Cup 2026, a Reuters report has revealed that the Atlas Lions’ remarkable rise in global football has been powered by an unlikely ally — the North African kingdom’s vast phosphate wealth.

Morocco, who became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final at Qatar 2022 and are now seeking to go even further in North America, have benefited from substantial investments channelled into football development by OCP Group, the world’s largest producer and exporter of phosphate fertilisers.

According to Reuters, OCP has become a key stakeholder in Morocco’s football revolution through a National Football Training Fund launched in 2024 in partnership with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and private investors.

The initiative forms part of a broader national strategy that has transformed Morocco into one of the leading football powers on the African continent.

“We have this commitment to the development of the country,” Hicham El Habti, president of the OCP-funded University of Mohammed VI Polytechnic and a member of OCP’s strategic committee for innovation and learning, told Reuters.

El Habti explained that OCP’s involvement follows a royal directive encouraging state-owned institutions to contribute to national development goals.

“There’s a huge investment from OCP in the training fields. There is a partnership with FIFA,” he said, according to Reuters.

While OCP’s entry into football development began only two years ago, Morocco’s football transformation has deeper roots.

Reuters recalled that in 2009, King Mohammed VI directed major investments into football infrastructure across the country. The programme included the construction of modern pitches, youth academies, stadium upgrades and the recruitment of professional coaches to nurture future generations of talent.

OCP’s intervention has since accelerated those efforts by funding football academies and providing modern infrastructure, technical expertise and improved facility management.

The impact has been visible on the pitch.

Morocco’s achievements over the past four years have elevated the country into football’s elite ranks. After their historic fourth-place finish at Qatar 2022, the Atlas Lions have continued to challenge the traditional powers of the game, earning widespread respect for their organisation, technical quality and competitive spirit.

Their latest World Cup campaign has reinforced that reputation, with Morocco standing as Africa’s last hope in a tournament where several of the continent’s representatives made early exits.

Ironically, the financial foundation of this football success story lies beneath Morocco’s soil.

Phosphate, an essential ingredient in global agriculture, remains one of the world’s most strategic natural resources. Unlike nitrogen fertilisers, which can be manufactured using natural gas, phosphate is a finite resource that cannot be artificially created.

According to Reuters, global fertiliser market analyst Josh Linville of StoneX described Morocco as “the bright spot in an otherwise dismal phosphate marketplace.”

Linville noted that Morocco enjoys advantages over major competitors, many of whom face export restrictions, geopolitical uncertainties or production challenges.

The country’s strategic importance has grown even further in recent years. Reuters reported that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump recently eased some restrictions on Moroccan phosphate imports to help address global supply shortages and rising prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.

For many Moroccans, however, the value of phosphate wealth is measured not only in export revenues but also in the joy generated by football success.

Reflecting on the national mood, El Habti told Reuters that the current World Cup campaign has revived memories of the euphoria that swept the country during Qatar 2022.

“You will see every face smiling,” he said. “It reminds us of 2022. Morocco was a very happy country for two months after the end of the World Cup. I’m feeling the same energy, the same vibes now.”

With Africa’s hopes resting squarely on Moroccan shoulders, the Atlas Lions are proving that visionary planning, sustained investment and the intelligent use of natural resources can help transform footballing dreams into reality.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA

The FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals will feature one of the tournament’s most compelling storylines after France secured a date with Morocco in a re-enactment of their memorable Qatar 2022 semi-final showdown.

France earned their place in the last eight on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia, while Morocco continued their remarkable run by defeating Canada to become the first African nation to reach back-to-back World Cup quarter-finals.

The meeting revives one of the defining fixtures of the 2022 tournament, when Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semi-final before falling 2-0 to France.

This time, however, the stakes are different. Instead of a place in the final, the winners will move into the semi-finals of the expanded 48-team World Cup.

France’s passage was secured by captain Kylian Mbappe, whose 70th-minute penalty against Paraguay proved decisive. The strike carried extra significance, becoming the 150th World Cup goal in French football history.

Mbappe’s goal was his seventh of the tournament and his 19th overall in World Cup finals, further cementing his status as one of the competition’s greatest scorers.

The French captain admitted the Paraguay clash was far from elegant, with temperatures hitting 39 degrees Celsius and neither side registering a shot on target before halftime.

“We knew what kind of match we were going to have,” Mbappe said.

“If we have to get our hands dirty, we can do that.”

France survived Paraguay’s physical challenge and late pressure to advance, but a much sterner examination now awaits against a Moroccan side that continues to rewrite football history.

The Atlas Lions have become Africa’s standard-bearers at the tournament, building on their groundbreaking 2022 campaign and once again carrying the hopes of an entire continent.

For Morocco, the quarter-final offers a chance to settle unfinished business from Qatar. For France, it presents another hurdle in their quest for a third World Cup crown.

Either way, when the two nations meet again, one of the most captivating rivalries of modern World Cup football will have its next chapter written.

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This Wednesday, 8 July, it will be 36 years since 10-World Cup-capped journalist, Kunle Solaja, watched his first World Cup final match at the imposing Stadio Olimpico in Rome when the then West Germany beat defending champion, 1-0, in the first ever final match to be decided by a single penalty kick goal and the first in which a red card was issued.

In commemoration of Solaja’s10 World Cup coverage achievement, GHM Communications, a fast-rising post-production company based in Nigeria, has produced a compelling video documentary that pays tribute to veteran Nigerian sports journalist and publisher of Sports Village Square, Kunle Solaja, chronicling an extraordinary career that has taken him to 10 consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments.

The production, titled around Solaja’s “10 World Cups” milestone, traces a journey that began with a young football enthusiast and evolved into one of Africa’s most enduring World Cup reporting careers.

Using a blend of archival footage, photographs and contemporary images from the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, the documentary highlights Solaja’s unique place among the select group of journalists worldwide who have covered the global football spectacle over such a prolonged period.

The video opens with evocative football imagery before taking viewers through memorable moments from previous World Cups, including iconic scenes featuring football legends and historic tournament matches. It then shifts focus to Solaja’s personal experiences, showcasing his presence at various World Cup venues and media centres across different host nations.

A recurring theme throughout the documentary is the evolution of football journalism over the past three decades and Solaja’s ability to remain relevant through changing technologies, reporting methods and media platforms.

The production also revisits some of the milestones that have defined his professional journey, including his extensive travels, interactions with global football personalities and his commitment to documenting African participation at the World Cup.

Several images featured in the documentary reflect Solaja’s long-standing association with international sports journalism bodies, including the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and FIFA, underscoring the recognition he has received within the global media community.

The documentary culminates with scenes from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where Solaja is once again on assignment, completing a remarkable sequence of World Cup appearances stretching from Italia ’90 to the current tournament.

For Nigerian sports journalism, the achievement represents more than a personal milestone. It is a testament to dedication, resilience and a lifelong passion for football reporting.

Having witnessed the World Cup across four decades, multiple continents and several generations of football stars, Solaja’s story serves as an inspiration to aspiring journalists and a reminder of the enduring value of specialised sports reporting.

The GHD production captures that legacy vividly, celebrating not just 10 World Cups, but a career devoted to telling the stories behind the world’s biggest sporting event.

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