Moroccan Football Federation Sets New Development Roadmap

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation's board convened to chart a new course for national football, approving significant decisions aimed at enhancing the sport's development. A key resolution was the postponement of matches for clubs with more than three players called up to the national team, a move designed to maintain competitive balance in the professional league.

“

The next phase will see the continued implementation of the national football reform project, according to a new roadmap, based on consolidating the full independence of the national leagues within their competencies, while strengthening coordination between them and the federation, and completing their move to their own headquarters before the end of the current year.

During the meeting, Abdelmalek El Bakkoury, president of the Professional Football League, presented an update on the league's digital transformation between 2022 and 2026. He highlighted improvements in competition management, club services, transfer market mechanisms, and youth player development. El Bakkoury noted that these efforts have reduced disputes and accelerated their resolution, fostering financial and administrative stability within professional clubs. The total budget for the professional league reached 965 million dirhams.

Fouzi Lekjaa, the federation's president, emphasized the next phase of reform, focusing on the complete independence of national leagues within their jurisdictions. He also stressed the importance of continued investment in sports infrastructure, enhancing sports marketing, improving fan reception, and elevating the quality of match organization to boost the professionalism of national competitions. Lekjaa also called for prioritizing youth and junior leagues, developing competitions, nurturing talent, and optimizing the utilization of young players, particularly internationals, to strengthen the national teams' talent pool.

“

The efforts made have contributed to reducing the number of disputes, accelerating their resolution, and strengthening respect for contractual obligations, thereby consolidating financial and administrative stability within professional clubs.

In the amateur football sector, Jamal El Kaouchi, president of the National Amateur Football League, reported on the 2025-2026 season. The amateur competitions involved 110 clubs across various divisions, with 1,622 matches played and approximately 4,110 participants, including players, technical staff, and medical personnel. El Kaouchi stated that the league is continuing its modernization efforts through digitalization, improved governance, club support, and enhanced competition quality and training programs, aligning with the dynamic development of national football.

“

We must continue to invest in sports infrastructure, develop sports marketing, improve conditions for receiving fans, organize their access to stadiums, and raise the quality of match organization, in order to enhance the professionalism of national competitions.