Qatar 2022/ FIFA Highlights Moroccan Football’s Continuing Success

Zurich, December 06 (QNA) - FIFA hailed Morocco's consecutive soccer achievements, ahead of their Tuesday's last-16 game against Spain in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. A report on FIFA.com highlighted the FIFA Talent Development Scheme workshop held in Morocco in July 2022, as part of the Talent Development Plan launched by FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger in 2020. The country has demonstrated a strong desire to continue its development, making resources available to the youth sides that represent the future of Moroccan football, the report said. Moroccan football is starting to reap the rewards of the Federation's good work, achieving great success at all levels of both the men's and women's game, the report added. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has been a dream come true for the Atlas Lions, who topped their group to qualify for the round of 16 and become the first African team to earn seven points in a FIFA World Cup group stage, all while being led by a Moroccan coach. Morocco have also had a lot of recent success in futsal, winning the 2020 Africa Futsal Cup of Nations and winning their first ever FIFA Futsal World Cup matches at Lithuania 2021, defeating Solomon Islands 6-0 and Venezuela 3-2, before being knocked out in the quarter-finals after a 1-0 loss to Brazil. The Moroccan Federation is not focused on men's football alone, paying plenty of attention to the women's game as well. The COVID-19 relief plan under the FIFA Forward Programme made grants of 500,000 dollars available to each member association in order to assist women's football, the report highlighted. The report also highlighted achievements by Morocco women's U-17 side, who not only qualified for their first-ever FIFA U-17 World Cup finals, but they recorded their first win in the competition, beating hosts India 3-0, finishing third in their group behind United States and Brazil. A key reason for this success is that the Moroccan Federation's interest goes beyond the senior men's and women's teams, continuing its short-, medium- and long-term work to prepare for the future, the report concluded. (QNA)