Morocco National Football Team

 The Morocco national football team, nicknamed the Atlas Lions, represents Morocco at the world men's soccer competitions. It is managed with the help of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, also called FRMF. The team's colors are crimson and green. The team is a member of each FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Internationally, Morocco immediately won the 1976 African Cup of Nations, two African Nations championships, and the FIFA Arab Cup. They have participated in the FIFA World Cup six times. They set records in 1986 after becoming the first team across an African country to take first place in a group at a World Cup. However, they narrowly lost to the runner-up West Germany with a score of 1-0. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morocco became the first African and Arab country ever to reach the semifinals, and the third semi-finalist not from UEFA or CONMEBOL (after the United States in 1930 and South Korea in 2002).

The Atlas Lions took tenth place in the FIFA world rankings in April 1998. They were recognized by FIFA as the best team in the entire African country for 3 consecutive years, from 1997 to 1999. As of October 2022, Morocco ranks twenty-second among the best national teams in the international ranking.

Is morocco good at football?

In April 1998, the Atlas Lions were ranked tenth in the FIFA world rankings. Three years in a row, from 1997 to 1999, they were recognized by FIFA as the best team in the entire African country. As of October 2022, Morocco ranks twenty-second in the international group regarding the number of countries.

Starting of morocco (1955_1963)

On October 19, 1957, at the second stage of the Pan-Arab Games in Lebanon, Morocco debuted as an impartial team of the United States of America in a confrontation with Iraq at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and drew 3:3. In this match, Morocco won the first victory in its history over Libya, winning with a score of 5:1, then beat Tunisia with a score of 3:1 and advanced to the semifinals. After the 1-1 draw with Syria, the masses were interested in determining who would progress to the very last, and Syria was chosen at the price of Morocco. Morocco was eliminated from the playoffs of the third region in the confrontation with Lebanon and took the fourth usual place.

In the period from 1957 to 1958, Morocco had several pleasant matches with the National Liberation Front group, the leader of Algeria before its independence in 1958. In 1959, the crew took part for the first time in an international competition - the qualifying rounds of the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Once in the group with Tunisia and Malta, Morocco took 2nd place on goal difference and did not win. In the same year, the Moroccan Football Federation joined FIFA.

In 1960, Morocco participated in the World Cup qualification for the first time. Having drawn with Tunisia in the first round, Morocco won the first match with a score of 2:1, despite the fact that Tunisia received a return match with a score of 2:1. The playoffs, held in Palermo, Italy, also ended in a draw, so a coin toss was used to determine who came forward. Morocco won the draw and beat Ghana 1-0 on Sunday to advance to the intercontinental playoffs. Having drawn with Spain, Morocco lost by the sum of two meetings with a score of 4:2 and, accordingly, did not qualify.

In 1961, Morocco hosted the Pan Arab Games and hosted a football match, defeating all 5 in their costumes. Their match against Saudi Arabia with a score of 0.33 ended with the largest victory in the history of Morocco with a score of 3:1. In addition, they won their first victories over a European team, beating East Germany with a score of 2:1 and 2:0.

In 1963, the Moroccan group came here on the eve of qualifying for the African Cup of Nations. In the decisive playoff match against Tunisia, they were defeated 4-1 in Tunisia and got 4-2 at home, so they were eliminated. At the 1963 Mediterranean Games in Naples, they finished fourth after losing 2-1 in the most recent match with a score of 0.33 against the Spanish reserve team.

Between successes and defeats (1976_1986)

Morocco, coached by Ed with the help of Romanian Virgil Mardarescu and was captain, using Far as, to the continental throne at the 1976 African Cup of Nations, in his 2nd participation as part of the opposition. Ahmed Makrouh scored a goal in the final, equalizing the score with the score 1:1, which gave Morocco the first and still the most productive cup in its history.

After failing to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, in addition, they did not make it to 1978 and 1982. At the 1978 African Cup of Nations, they were eliminated in the first round, while at the 1980 African Cup of Nations, they scored 0.33 points, beating Egypt 2-0. They then won the 1983 Mediterranean Games, playing at home, thanks to reaching three zeros in the final in the opposition. to Turkey B.

Morocco did not participate in either the 1982 or 1984 African Cup of Nations. At the 1986 African Cup of Nations, they finished fourth, beaten 3-2 in a consolation final by Ivory Coast.

Home Stadium

During the empire of the Sheriffs, the Philip Stadium was the largest stadium in Morocco. Its capacity was 25,000 seats. After the declaration of independence of the United States, the latter changed its name to the Casablanca Legion of Honor Stadium (nicknamed "The Donor" in honor of the people of Casablanca). The stadium will be mainly used by the Moroccan team, as well as the 2 most important clubs of Casablanca: "Vaidad AS" and "Raja KA". The stadium then underwent an initial renovation - a good way to host the 1983 Mediterranean Games in Casablanca by the end of the 1970s. It reopened in 1983 under its modern name "Mohammed V Stadium" and then had eighty,000 seats before being limited to 67,000 seats after new conservation due to Morocco's bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2000. In the period from 2016 to 2019, the Mohammed V Stadium underwent major maintenance and modernization work. Its capacity has decreased again, and the stadium currently holds 45,891 seats.

The grandiose Rabat complex was inaugurated in 1983 under the name Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. The national team also holds several matches there. The Rabat stadium may then want to accommodate 65,000 spectators, however, it turned out to be, in particular, used by 2 nearby teams Far Rabat and FUS Rabat. Its capacity was reduced to fifty-three thousand seats in 2000, and then to 45,800 seats in 2020. It is currently the stadium of the Morocco national football team.

Since 2011, Atlas Lions have performed the most at the Stade de Marrakech, which holds 45,240 seats. The latter is taken into account to bring good luck to the Moroccan group, which received many critical blows there in front of a large target market, significantly beating Algeria in qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations with a score of 4:0[64] and Tanzania with a score of 3:1, allowing Morocco to qualify, then every other important The match against Mozambique ended with a crushing victory with a rating of four–zero, which allowed this time to qualify for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

During the instruct Badou Ezaki from 2014 to 2016, the Moroccan band across the country held most of their performances at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir, which holds 45,480 spectators, and, in addition, at some point, it hosted a pleasant concert by Herve Renard between Morocco and the Netherlands in 2017, and this is by far the most outstanding match for Morocco that has been held at this stadium.