By Kunle Solaja.

The President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, has detailed how a long-term national vision driven by youth development, governance reforms, infrastructure expansion and strategic planning transformed Morocco from a nation ranked 81^st  in the world in 2014 into one of global football’s emerging superpowers.

Morocco currently sits atop Africa and 8^th in the world, indicating a sharp rise in the past 12 years since Lekjaa took over the administration of football in the kingdom.

Speaking in an extensive interview published by the Paris-based French football magazine Onze Mondial, Lekjaa traced the roots of Morocco’s football revolution not to his assumption of office in 2014, but to a broader national development agenda initiated under King Mohammed VI.

According to him, football development became deeply integrated into Morocco’s wider socio-economic strategy, with young people positioned at the centre of the country’s national growth ambitions.

“The Project Started Before Me”

Lekjaa insisted that the transformation of Moroccan football was not the product of one administration alone.

“In reality, things did not start in 2014 when I took over the presidency of the Federation,” he explained.

He revealed that a major turning point came in 2008 during Morocco’s National Sports Conferences, where King Mohammed VI laid out a comprehensive roadmap covering professionalisation, governance reforms and structural organisation of sports.

The 2008 National Sports Conference, which is also known as the 2nd National Sports Assizes, was held on October 24–25, 2008, in Skhirat.

Experts informed the Sports Village Square that the conference stands as the foundational turning point for Morocco’s modern sports renaissance.

That framework, Lekjaa said, became the foundation upon which modern Moroccan football was built.

Today, Morocco sits among the elite nations of world football after its historic semi-final run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach that stage of the competition.

Even now, the ambition is higher. At the majestic Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, moments before Morocco’s national team dismantled Niger Republic last September to become the first African team to pick a World Cup qualifying ticket, a banner stretched proudly across the stands: “This time, the trophy is our dream.”

It wasn’t mere fan bravado or a dream. It was a declaration rooted in vision, planning, and national purpose, the same qualities that turned Morocco into the first African and Arab country to reach the World Cup semi-finals at Qatar 2022.

While other African nations celebrated qualification or occasional victories, Morocco quietly built an empire.

From the visionary royal blueprint in 2008 to the creation of the Mohammed VI Football Academy in 2009 and the world-class Mohammed VI Football Centre a decade later, Morocco’s rise has been deliberate, scientific, and inclusive.

Fouzi Lekjaa leads a delegation of King Mohammed VI on an inspection tour of the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

Youth Development At The Core

Lekjaa repeatedly stressed that youth empowerment remains the heartbeat of Morocco’s football project.

He disclosed that thousands of Moroccan boys and girls now combine football with formal education through nationwide sports-study programmes, especially in women’s football and club academies.

According to him, the goal goes far beyond producing elite players.

He said the system was designed to give young people educational opportunities, discipline, hope and life values rooted in sport.

“These values are at the very heart of football and our actions: fair play, tolerance, respect for others, and respect for the rules,” Lekjaa told Onze Mondial.

He added that even players who fail to reach the highest professional level still benefit from education and pathways into other careers connected to sport and society.

Mohammed VI Academy Identified As Turning Point

Lekjaa identified the inauguration of the Mohammed VI Football Academy as the symbolic beginning of Morocco’s modern football renaissance.

However, he described the Qatar 2022 World Cup as the moment when Morocco’s football ecosystem fully believed that global success was achievable.

“From that moment on, everyone gained the conviction that it was possible,” he said.

He added that Morocco had moved away from merely participating in major tournaments and had embraced a “mindset of conquest” focused on winning titles and remaining permanently among football’s elite.

Avoiding The “Roller-Coaster” Decline

Asked whether Morocco aims to remain consistently among the world’s top 10 nations and avoid the dramatic fluctuations experienced by countries such as Italy, Lekjaa acknowledged the challenges of elite player development.

He noted that no academy can produce top-level players in massive quantities, but argued that expanding the talent base increases the chances of sustained success.

The federation, he explained, focuses equally on education, ethics and character formation alongside technical football training.

Football As Soft Power

Lekjaa also openly described football as an instrument of Moroccan influence and soft power on the international stage.

He said Morocco’s geographical and historical position between Africa and Europe, combined with its Arab-Islamic and Amazigh heritage, gave football added diplomatic significance.

“The more sporting results progress — from 75th in the world to the top 10 — the more the country benefits from this global influence,” he explained.

EVOSPORT And Club Development

One of the key pillars highlighted by Lekjaa was the creation of EVOSPORT, a structure designed to strengthen youth football development between the ages of 10 and 17 — a segment he claimed had long been neglected by Moroccan clubs.

He explained that the federation’s National Technical Directorate now establishes unified training content, selects coaches and educators, and ensures clubs align with national development standards.

The system also includes financial incentives linked to professional contracts and future player transfers.

According to Lekjaa, clubs remain the primary beneficiaries of the development structure while operating within a nationally coordinated model.

New Mentality After Qatar 2022

Lekjaa said Morocco’s World Cup success fundamentally altered expectations across every national team category.

He revealed that younger Moroccan teams now enter competitions aiming not merely to compete but to surpass the achievements of the senior national side.

He pointed to Morocco’s youth successes — including a U20 world title and strong U17 performances — as evidence that a culture of excellence has taken root.

“Today, losing narrowly to Brazil in a quarter-final is considered a disappointment,” he said, illustrating the dramatic rise in standards.

AFCON “Changed Dimension”

Discussing the recent Africa Cup of Nations, Lekjaa described the tournament as a breakthrough for African football.

He praised the infrastructure, stadium quality, security arrangements and logistical organisation, noting that matches were spread across nine stadiums with only one game staged per venue daily.

Lekjaa also highlighted what he described as a major economic leap for the competition.

Quoting official CAF figures, he claimed the tournament generated more than $300 million in net revenue, compared to around $5 million in Cameroon and about $80 million in Côte d’Ivoire during previous editions.

“The Africa Cup of Nations has changed in dimension, rhythm, and level,” he declared.

Controversial CAF Ruling

Addressing CAF’s administrative ruling awarding Morocco victory via forfeit in a disputed competition involving Senegal, Lekjaa maintained that Morocco simply followed legal procedures.

He insisted the Kingdom acted with restraint despite disagreeing with earlier rulings and emphasised that Morocco would ultimately respect the final verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“If the decision is favourable to us, we will be happy. Otherwise, we will congratulate our Senegalese brothers,” he said.

Responds To Claims Of Moroccan Influence In CAF

Lekjaa also rejected social media suggestions that Morocco exerts excessive influence within African football governance.

He argued that Morocco had, in fact, spent decades outside CAF’s power structures before recently reclaiming an active role consistent with its investment and contribution to African football.

“Morocco cannot be blamed for seeking to pull African football upwards,” he said.

Coaching Changes “Not A Risk”

The federation boss dismissed concerns about changing coaches shortly before major tournaments.

He cited the appointment of Walid Regragui before Qatar 2022 as evidence that Morocco’s system prioritises continuity over individual dependence.

Current coach Mohamed Ouahbi, he explained, has long been embedded within Morocco’s youth structure and understands the federation’s philosophy.

The Lamine Yamal Debate

Lekjaa also addressed the highly debated issue of dual-national players, particularly Lamine Yamal.

He stressed that Morocco never pressures players over international allegiance and regards all players of Moroccan heritage as full Moroccans regardless of where they live.

In one of the interview’s most striking remarks, Lekjaa said:

“I do not know of any Spaniard named ‘Jamal’ in the history of Spanish football.”

However, he added that Morocco still takes pride in seeing players of Moroccan origin contribute to other major football nations such as Spain.

For Lekjaa, Morocco’s football rise is ultimately about much more than trophies.

It is, he insisted, a long-term civilisational and developmental project designed to empower youth, strengthen national identity and permanently establish Morocco among the world’s leading football nations.

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Representatives from four national players’ unions on Thursday launched a new global organisation in Madrid, which they say will strengthen footballers’ rights and improve dialogue with governing bodies.

Opening ​a new front in the battle over who speaks for players, the International ‌Footballers’ Association (AIF) was unveiled, with David Aganzo, president of Spain’s Association of Footballers (AFE) and a former head of the global union FIFPRO, appointed to lead the organisation.

Players’ unions from Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland were also represented.

The initiative ​drew a swift rebuke from FIFPRO, which said in a statement that Aganzo was ​acting out of self-interest and aligning himself with organisations linked to football governing ⁠bodies, as well as groups expelled from FIFPRO over alleged mismanagement.

Aganzo rejected the criticism, saying ​he “will not seek confrontation with FIFPRO”.

The launch comes amid strained relations between players’ unions and football authorities, ​particularly over the expanding international match calendar.

Relations between FIFA and FIFPRO deteriorated in 2024 after the union lodged a complaint with the European Commission, arguing that the global governing body was abusing its dominant position by adding ​competitions without sufficient consultation.

Aganzo denied suggestions that the new initiative was backed by FIFA president Gianni ​Infantino, but said “direct dialogue with FIFA” was essential.

AFE’s Extraordinary General Assembly approved the initiative in February with 99.8% of ‌votes ⁠cast in favour of spearheading the creation of the AIF.

The same assembly also backed AFE’s withdrawal from FIFPRO, citing what it described as a “complete lack of transparency, as well as its total lack of dialogue with international bodies.”

“We represent over 30,000 footballers, and we come here with a ​new model aimed at safeguarding ​players’ rights and ⁠facilitating direct communication with all international bodies,” Aganzo told reporters.

“We are in contact with 15 to 20 unions already who were very aware of ​this moment and waiting for this announcement to make their move and ​join our ⁠initiative.”

He declined to identify any unions beyond those present.

Asked about a report that a senior envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump had urged FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, Aganzo ⁠urged caution.

“These ​are more political issues; on April 30th, I’ll be ​speaking to Gianni (Infantino) at the FIFA Congress, and we will discuss those things,” Aganzo said.

“People who want to go to ​the World Cup have to earn their place on sporting merit.”

-Reuters

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A new trial over the death of Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona will begin on Tuesday, with seven members of his medical team ​charged with negligent homicide nearly a year after a previous case collapsed in ‌a mistrial.

An enduring presence in Argentina – from towering murals to tattoos, opens new tab – Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at 60, after a heart attack while he was recuperating from brain surgery to remove a blood clot.

A court in ​San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, will hear testimony from just under 100 witnesses ​as it tries Maradona’s medical team over alleged negligence in the death ⁠of the 1986 World Cup champion.

His medical team has denied wrongdoing. The defendants are ​psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychologist Carlos Angel Diaz, physician Nancy Edith Forlini, nurse ​Ricardo Almiron, head nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni, and physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna. An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, will be tried in a separate jury trial, with no date yet set.

Two months into ​the first trial, which started last March, a mistrial was declared when one of three ​judges, Julieta Makintach, resigned after video surfaced showing her being interviewed by a camera crew in the ‌corridors ⁠of the courthouse and in her office as part of a documentary, in breach of judicial rules.

The retrial will require both prosecutors and defense lawyers to reassess their strategies after the first trial aired photographs, videos, audio recordings and forensic evidence. Many witnesses, including Maradona’s ​children and his former ​wife, Claudia Villafane, ⁠have already testified.

Prosecutors argued in the initial trial that medical professionals broke treatment protocols and that the home where Maradona was recovering ​from surgery amounted to a “theatre of horror,” where necessary care was ​not provided.

The ⁠defense countered that his death was inevitable given his longstanding health problems. Maradona struggled for decades with cocaine and alcohol addiction.

The negligence charges emerged in 2021 after prosecutors appointed a medical board ⁠to ​investigate Maradona’s death. The panel concluded his medical team ​acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless” manner.

-Reuters

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