AFCON-2023 (Day 3): Morocco Officially Qualifies for Round of 16

Morocco’s beach soccer team won the Casablanca Cup on Sunday, beating France 5-4 in the third and final day’s match.

Morocco’s goals were scored by Amine Bidouri, Oudnane Oubehri, Mohamed Ghenam, Badr Krichli and Reda Zehraoui.

The Nationals won their first two matches against Belgium and Tanzania, earning a total of 9 points following their victory over France.

Morocco made history on Thursday by winning bronze in men’s football at the Paris Olympic Games with a 6-0 thrashing over Egypt, asserting itself as the major powerhouse in African football, writes the Spanish sports daily “AS.” 

With this “resounding victory,” the Moroccan football team has achieved a great feat, attaining its goal of winning an Olympic medal for the first time, the Spanish newspaper says in an article titled “Morocco Becomes an African Football Giant.”

With this, the Moroccan team confirms that it is “going through a great moment, thanks to a very solid project that yielded good results,” the same source adds.

Recalling the remarkable feat of the Atlas Lions at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they ranked fourth, AS notes that two years later, Morocco has won the bronze medal after an impressive tournament where they demonstrated their potential from the very start by defeating Argentina.

“In the bronze medal match on Thursday, the Moroccan team dominated Egypt, confirming that Moroccan football is experiencing its historic moment,” the article highlights.

Morocco’s football team won the bronze medal in the men’s football tournament of the Paris-Olympics 2024 on Thursday 08 August, thrashing Egypt 6-0 in placement match in Nantes.

Moroccan goals were scored by Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (23′), Soufiane Rahimi, who scored twice (26′, 64′), Bilal El Khannouss (51′), Akram Nakach (73′) and Achraf Hakimi (87′).

Owing to this victory, Morocco has secured two medals at the Paris Olympics, following Soufiane El Bakkali’s gold in the 3,000 steeplechase on Wednesday.

This is Morocco’s first Olympic medal in football, joining athletics and boxing as sports having secured Olympic medals for the Kingdom.

MAP: 08 August 2024

Morocco was eliminated in the semi-final of the men’s football tournament at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games by Spain (1-2), Monday 05 August at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.

Soufiane Rahimi converted a penalty to give the Atlas Lions the lead in the 36th minute. Fermin Lopez scored the equalizer in the 66th minute, before Juanlu Sanchez scored the second goal in the 85th minute.

Morocco will play for Bronze, Thursday, against France or Egypt.

MAP: 05 August 2024

Morocco’s U23 football team qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s Olympic Games (Paris-2024) after beating the United States 4-0 on Friday 02 August at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris.

Soufiane Rahimi scored for the Atlas Cubs in the 28th minute, converting a penalty he had won himself. Ilias Akhomach doubled the lead in the 63rd minute, before Achraf Hakimi scored the third seven minutes later.

El Mehdi Maouhoub (90th+1st) quadrupled the score with a penalty awarded by the match referee after consulting VAR.

Morocco will face, Monday 05 August in the semi-finals, the winner of the clash between Spain and Japan.

MAP: 02 August 2024

The Moroccan U23 football team qualified for the quarter-finals of the men’s tournament at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games, following a convincing 3-0 victory over Iraq, on Tuesday 30 July at the Nice Stadium, on the third and final day of Group B.

The Atlas Cubs’ goals were scored by Amir Richardson (19’), Sofiane Rahimi (28’) and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (36’).

Following this victory, Morocco top their group with 6 points, ahead of Argentina that beat Ukraine 2-0, on goal-average.

Morocco will face, in the quarter-finals scheduled for next Friday, the runner-up from Group A, which includes France, Guinea, the United States and New Zealand.

MAP: 30 July 2024