 | |||
| Nickname(s) | أسود الأطلس (TheAtlas Lions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Royal Moroccan Football Federation | ||
| Other affiliation | Moroccan National Olympic Committee | ||
| Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
| Sub-confederation | UNAF (North Africa) | ||
| Head coach | Tarik Sektioui | ||
| Captain | Abde Ezzalzouli | ||
| Home stadium | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | MAR | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Morocco 2–0Tunisia  (Rabat, Morocco; 6 September 1960) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Morocco 6–0Malaysia  (Ingolstadt,West Germany; 31 August 1972) Morocco 6–0Egypt  (Nantes,France; 8 August 2024) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
Hungary  6–0Morocco (Tokyo, Japan; 11 October 1964) Records for competitive matches only. | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 8 (first in1964) | ||
| Best result |  Bronze medal (2024[1]) | ||
| U-23 Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in2011) | ||
| Best result |  Champions (2023) | ||
TheMorocco national under-23 football team, also known as theMorocco Olympic football team, representsMorocco in internationalfootball competitions such as theOlympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except during the Olympic Games where up to three overage players is allowed. The team is controlled by theRoyal Moroccan Football Federation.
Morocco's first appearance was in the1964 Summer Olympics inTokyo. In a group that consisted of three teams followingNorth Korea's withdrawal. They suffered a heavy 0-6 defeat toHungary - Morocco's all-time heaviest defeat to date -, then lost 1-3 toYugoslavia and were eliminated.
Their second appearance was supposed to be during the1968 Summer Olympics inMexico butMorocco refused to allow its team to play againstIsrael in Group C due to political issues.[2] They were eventually replaced byGhana which lost 2-3 on aggregate to Morocco in the last qualifying round.
In the1972 edition inMunich, Morocco reached the second round as runners-up in their group with 3 points following a goalless draw against theUnited States, a resounding 6-0 win againstMalaysia and a 0-3 loss to hostsWest Germany. In the second round, The Atlas Lions lost all three games againstDenmark,Poland and theSoviet Union. However, it was the best performance of the Atlas Lions at the Olympic football tournament until 2024.
Morocco came extremely close to reaching the quarter-finals in the2004 Summer Olympics, narrowly missing out on goals scored that favoredCosta Rica. Morocco were 2-1 ahead in their final group game against already-qualifiedIraq thanks to goals scored byBouabid Bouden andSalaheddine Aqqal. However, in the other game, Costa Rica'sPablo Brenes scored the fourth goal in added time to seal a 4-2 win overPortugal and qualification at Morocco's expense.[3]
During the inaugural2011 CAF U-23 Championship held in Morocco.[4] The host nation coached byPim Verbeek, recorded narrow 1-0 victories against bothNigeria andAlgeria, before losing toSenegal.[5] In the semi-finals, Morocco successfully secured a spot in the2012 Summer Olympics inLondon by defeating Egypt 3-2 in a tense game which also sawAbdelaziz Barrada scoring the fastest goal in the history of the tournament to date after just 30 seconds. This marked the return of the Atlas Lions to the Olympic football tournament having missed out on qualifying in2008.[6] However, they faced a setback when they suffered a 2-1 defeat against the surprising contender,Gabon, in the final held at theMarrakech Stadium.[7]
On 7 July 2022, Morocco were awarded the hosting rights of the2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, marking the return of the U-23 team to the competition for the first time in 12 years.[8][9][10] Their campaign kicked off on a positive note with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Guinea,[11] followed by a resounding 5-1 triumph over Ghana, emerging as group winners and securing a place in the semifinals with one game to spare.[12][13] They went on to win the semi-final against Mali and qualify for the2024 Olympic Games.[14][15] They defeated Egypt 2-1 in the final to win their first ever continental title.[16][17] The team was congratulated by KingMohammed VI for their achievement.[18][19]
On 29 February 2024,Tarik Sektioui was appointed head coach of the men's Olympic squad by theRoyal Moroccan Football Federation.[20] InParis 2024, Morocco debuted in group B with a 2–1 victory againstArgentina,[21] followed by a 2–1 defeat againstUkraine and a 3–0 victory againstIraq.[22][23] Topping their group with six points ahead of Argentina on the head-to-head record, Morocco thus reached the knockout stage for the first time since 1972. They defeated theUnited States 4-0 in the quarterfinals, reaching the semifinals for the first time ever.[24] In the semifinal, Morocco lost 2–1 againstSpain.[25] They then won 6–0 againstEgypt in the third place to win the bronze medal.[26]
Win Draw Lose Voided or Postponed Fixture
v
Brazil| 7 SeptemberFriendly | Morocco | 1–0 | Brazil | Fez, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 |
| Stadium:Fez Stadium Referee: Sow Sandigui (Senegal) |
v
Iraq| 12 OctoberFriendly | Morocco | 0–1 | Iraq | Casablanca, Morocco |
| Report |
| Stadium:Père Jégo Stadium |
v
Dominican Republic| 16 OctoberFriendly | Morocco | 3–1 | Dominican Republic | Casablanca, Morocco |
| Report |
| Stadium:Père Jégo Stadium |
v
Denmark| 16 NovemberFriendly | Morocco | 0–3 | Denmark | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Pinatar Arena |
v
United States| 21 NovemberFriendly | Morocco | 1–0 | United States | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
| 15:00 |
| Report | Stadium:Pinatar Arena |
v Morocco| 22 MarchFriendly | Ukraine | 1–0 | Morocco | Antalya, Turkey |
| Report | Stadium:Gloria Sports Arena |
v
Wales| 26 MarchFriendly | Morocco | 2–0 | Wales | Antalya, Turkey |
Igamane | Report | Stadium:Gloria Sports Arena |
v
Belgium| 4 JuneFriendly | Morocco | 2–2 | Belgium | Rabat, Morocco |
| Kechta 63' Maouhoub 90' | Report | Smets 42' Dwomoh 53' | Stadium:Moulay Hassan Stadium |
v Morocco| 24 July2024 Summer Olympics Group B | Argentina | 1–2 | Morocco | Saint-Étienne, France |
| 15:00 |
| Report | Stadium:Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Attendance: 26,717 Referee:Glenn Nyberg (Sweden) |
v Morocco| 27 July2024 Summer Olympics Group B | Ukraine | 2–1 | Morocco | Saint-Étienne, France |
| 17:00 | Report | Stadium:Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Attendance: 28,655 Referee:Saíd Martínez (Honduras) |
v Iraq| 30 July2024 Summer Olympics Group B | Morocco | 3–0 | Iraq | Nice, France |
| 17:00 |
| Report | Stadium:Allianz Riviera Attendance: 19,300 Referee:Ramon Abatti (Brazil) |
v United States| 2 August2024 Summer Olympics QF | Morocco | 4–0 | United States | Paris, France |
| 15:00 | Report | Stadium:Parc des Princes Attendance: 42,868 Referee: Yael Falcón (Argentina) |
v
Spain| 5 August2024 Summer Olympics SF | Morocco | 1–2 | Spain | Marseille, France |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium:Stade de Marseille Attendance: 59,882 Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan) |
v Morocco| 8 August2024 Summer Olympics Bronze | Egypt | 0–6 | Morocco | Nantes, France |
| 17:00 | Report |
| Stadium:Stade de la Beaujoire Attendance: 27,391 Referee:Espen Eskås (Norway) |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tarik Sektioui |
| Assistant coach(es) | Youssouf Hadji |
| Fahd El Ouarga | |
| Fitness coach |  Grégory Delhomel |
| Goalkeeping coach | Laurent Deraedt |
| Technical director | Chris Van Puyvelde |
| Video analyst | Damien Januel |
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Munir Mohamedi* | (1989-05-10)10 May 1989 (age 36) | 6 | 0 |  Al Wehda |
| 12 | 1GK | Rachid Ghanimi | (2001-04-25)25 April 2001 (age 24) | 1 | 0 | FUS Rabat |
| 22 | 1GK | Mohamed Reda Asmama | (2002-02-08)8 February 2002 (age 23) | 2 | 0 | Union de Touarga |
| 2 | 2DF | Achraf Hakimi*(captain) | (1998-11-04)4 November 1998 (age 27) | 8 | 2 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 3 | 2DF | Akram Nakach | (2002-04-07)7 April 2002 (age 23) | 5 | 1 | Union de Touarga |
| 4 | 2DF | Mehdi Boukamir | (2004-01-26)26 January 2004 (age 21) | 14 | 0 | Charleroi |
| 5 | 2DF | Adil Tahif | (2001-02-24)24 February 2001 (age 24) | 7 | 0 | RS Berkane |
| 11 | 2DF | Zakaria El Ouahdi | (2001-12-31)31 December 2001 (age 23) | 19 | 3 | Genk |
| 19 | 2DF | Haytam Manaout | (2001-04-18)18 April 2001 (age 24) | 3 | 0 | Union de Touarga |
| 21 | 2DF | Bilal El Ouadghiri | (2001-08-03)3 August 2001 (aged 22) | 1 | 0 | FUS Rabat |
| 6 | 3MF | Benjamin Bouchouari | (2001-11-13)13 November 2001 (age 24) | 14 | 0 | Saint-Étienne |
| 8 | 3MF | Bilal El Khannous | (2004-05-10)10 May 2004 (age 21) | 7 | 1 |  Leicester City |
| 13 | 3MF | Yassine Kechta | (2002-02-25)25 February 2002 (age 23) | 12 | 1 | Le Havre |
| 14 | 3MF | Oussama Targhalline | (2002-05-20)20 May 2002 (age 23) | 16 | 1 | Le Havre |
| 17 | 3MF | Oussama El Azzouzi | (2001-05-29)29 May 2001 (age 24) | 12 | 0 |  Bologna |
| 18 | 3MF | Amir Richardson | (2002-01-24)24 January 2002 (age 23) | 14 | 2 | Fiorentina |
| 20 | 3MF | El Mehdi El Moubarik | (2001-01-22)22 January 2001 (age 24) | 4 | 0 | Raja Casablanca |
| 7 | 4FW | Eliesse Ben Seghir | (2005-02-16)16 February 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 0 |  Monaco[a] |
| 9 | 4FW | Soufiane Rahimi* | (1996-06-02)2 June 1996 (age 29) | 6 | 8 |  Al Ain |
| 10 | 4FW | Ilias Akhomach | (2004-04-16)16 April 2004 (age 21) | 7 | 1 | Villarreal |
| 15 | 4FW | El Mehdi Maouhoub | (2003-06-05)5 June 2003 (age 22) | 7 | 2 | Raja Casablanca |
| 16 | 4FW | Abde Ezzalzouli | (2001-12-25)25 December 2001 (age 23) | 11 | 5 | Real Betis |
* Overage player.
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club[b] | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Walid Hasbi | (2004-01-07)7 January 2004 (age 21) | 4 | 0 | Racing Strasbourg B | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| GK | Alaa Bellaarouch | (2002-02-01)1 February 2002 (age 23) | 8 | 0 | Racing Strasbourg | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024PRE |
| DF | Ayoub Amraoui | (2004-05-14)14 May 2004 (age 21) | 12 | 0 | Amiens | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| DF | Chadi Riad | (2003-06-17)17 June 2003 (age 22) | 6 | 0 | Betis | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| DF | Mohamed Jaouab | (2002-05-14)14 May 2002 (age 23) | 4 | 1 | Amiens | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| DF | Ayman El Wafi | (2004-05-11)11 May 2004 (age 21) | 11 | 0 |  Lugano | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| DF | Omar El Hilali | (2003-09-12)12 September 2003 (age 22) | 4 | 0 | Espanyol | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| DF | Adam Aznou | (2006-06-02)2 June 2006 (age 19) | 1 | 0 |  Bayern Munich II | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| MF | Ismael Saibari | (2001-01-28)28 January 2001 (age 24) | 11 | 4 |  PSV Eindhoven | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| MF | Mohamed Nassoh | (2003-01-26)26 January 2003 (age 22) | 5 | 0 | PSV Eindhoven | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| MF | Amine Souane | (2001-09-17)17 September 2001 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | MC Oujda | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Yanis Begraoui | (2001-07-04)4 July 2001 (age 24) | 14 | 4 | Pau | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Amine El Ouazzani | (2001-07-15)15 July 2001 (age 24) | 13 | 2 | Guingamp | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Ibrahim Salah | (2001-08-30)30 August 2001 (age 24) | 9 | 0 | Rennes | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Salim El Jebari | (2004-02-05)5 February 2004 (age 21) | 5 | 0 | Atlético Madrid | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Montasser Lahtimi | (2001-04-01)1 April 2001 (age 24) | 2 | 0 | Wydad Casablanca | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Tawfik Bentayeb | (2002-01-14)14 January 2002 (age 23) | 2 | 0 | Union de Touarga | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024PRE |
| ||||||
Football at the Summer Olympics squads | U-23 Africa Cup of Nations squads | Football at the Islamic Solidarity Games
|
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Houssaine Ouchla (DF) | Adel Chbouki (MF) | Salaheddine Bassir (FW) | |
| Nadir Lamyaghri (GK) | Otmane El Assas (MF) | Bouchaib El Moubarki (FW) | |
| Houssine Kharja (MF) | Nordin Amrabat (FW) | did not select | |
| Munir Mohamedi (GK) | Achraf Hakimi (DF) | Soufiane Rahimi (FW) |
| Olympic Games record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| Until1988 | SeeMorocco national football team | |||||||
| 1992 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 1996 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2000 | Group stage | 16th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
 2004 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
 2008 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2012 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2016 | Did not qualify | |||||||
 2020 | ||||||||
| 2024 | Bronze medal | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 5 |
| 2028 | To be determined | |||||||
| 2032 | ||||||||
| Total | Bronze medal | 5/9 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 26 |
| U-23 Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 2 | ||||||||
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 2011 | Runners-up | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | |
 2015 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2019 | ||||||||
| 2023 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | |
| Total | 2/4 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 10 | |
| UNAF U-23 Tournament record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 3 / 4 | ||||||||
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
 2006 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 | Third place | 3rd | ||||||
| 2010 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| 2011 | Third place | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 2015 | Cancelled | |||||||
| Islamic Solidarity Games record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2005 |  Silver Medal | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
 2010 | Cancelled | |||||||
 2013 |  Gold Medal | 1st | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
 2017 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
 2021 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 2025 | No football tournament held | |||||||
| Total | 1 title | 4/4 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 10 |
Intercontinental
Bronze medal (1):2024Continental
Other
Runners-up (1):2005 Runners-up (1):2015| National teams |
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| League system |
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| Domestic cups |
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| Lists | |||||
