Morocco’s Rising Soccer Stars: A Blueprint for Success

The Atlas Lions (U20) have experienced rapid progress in recent years. Winner of the 2023 U23 AFCON, bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Games, finalist of the U20 AFCON, the Moroccan team faces the Bleuets this Wednesday in the semi-finals of the U20 World Cup. "Since 2021, we have been engaged in a performance dynamic driven by a clear strategic vision, initiated by the president Mr. Fouzi Lekjaa. We have a hybrid and intelligent model: some players come from local training, through the national academies and the clubs’ training centers, while others have been detected in Europe, thanks to a dedicated cell that follows the young dual national talents, with six scouts," explains the National Technical Director (DTN), Jamal Fathi, to L’Équipe.

The dual nationals dream of playing in the A team, semi-finalist of the World Cup in Qatar. "The Federation works with lists of dual national players. And all these players are the subject of reports from our scouts. And when the report is good, there is a first contact to find out if the player has already made a choice. There is nothing aggressive. We don’t offer anything. No money, nothing. What I do, on the other hand, when it is the responsibility of my team, is to go on site to talk to the parents and propose a short, medium and long-term sports project," the U20 coach Mohamed Ouahbi detailed last March to RTBF.

These dual nationals represent nearly half (9 out of 21) of the Atlas Lions who will cross boots with the Bleuets this Wednesday. They are Yanis Benchaouch (Monaco, born in Périgueux), Naïm Biyar (Foggia, born in Reims), Othmane Maamma (Watford, born in Alès), Ibrahim Gomis (OM, born in Perpignan) and Gessime Yassine (Dunkerque, born in Salon-de-Provence). Local talents are not left behind. "The Federation has also initiated a process in the country, with the creation of a training fund through a partnership with private operators and the creation of regional academies. The latter are taking over a bit from the clubs’ training centers, which are less efficient. They are in direct contact with the Mohammed VI national academy," said Youssef Moutmaïne, Director of Sports, to Le Matin.