Morocco's renewed focus on grassroots football is beginning to pay dividends following the qualification of Morocco's Under-20 national team for next year's Nations Cup in Mauritania after a 15-year absence.
Morocco's Under-20 team last qualified for the tournament in 2005 but the seeds of development that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has planted are flowering into a full promise.
The Under 20s qualification comes after the Under 17s had already qualified for the same competition at the Under 17 level, which will take place in Morocco starting from 13 March 2021.
FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa welcomed the Under the 20s on their return from Tunisia after their last match against Libya in Rades ended 1-1, congratulating them on their qualification.
"The considerable progress is as a result of extensive work done by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation for several years. After a restructuring of the National Technical Directorate, the Federation has set concrete and ambitious goals for each age group, not to mention the clubs from its championship,” said Lekjaa.
"And as proof, Morocco had four clubs in the semi-finals of the Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2020. A record that demonstrates the good organisation and balance of Botola's clubs.
"Moreover, the Moroccan championship dominates the ranking of the African championships of the CAF, including three clubs in the top 10. These three clubs - Raja, Wydad and Berkane, have won four major trophies in Africa in recent years: the Champions League, the CAF Cup (2) and the CAF Super Cup.”
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