2024-04-25 22:37:03
In football, national teams, all categories combined, reached the world and continental summit, starting with the qualification of the women’s national team for the 2nd round, for its first participation, of the World Cup (Australia New Zealand 2023), the quarter-finals of the U17 national team in the Indonesia-2023 World Cup, the coronation of the Olympic team in the U23 Africa Cup (Morocco-2023), as well as the final of the African Champions League (Ivory Coast 2023), well deserved by the Sporting Casablanca women’s team.
After a successful season which placed Moroccan football on the international stage, the Atlas Lions were the first to qualify for the final phase of the 2023 Africa Cup scheduled for Ivory Coast at the start of the next year.
The men’s national team also played three friendly matches, marked by a victory against Brazil last March.
National football lit up the sky over the city of Marrakech during the CAF Awards ceremony which saw the crowning of the men’s national team as best African team of the year, and the national coach, Walid Regragui, as best coach African and Yassine Bounou, crowned best African goalkeeper of the year.
Women’s football was no exception to the rule and received its share of well-deserved honors thanks to Nesryne El Chad, who plays for LOSC Lille, voted best young African player of the year and her compatriot Fatima Tagnaout of the AS FAR, named African interclub player of the year.
In addition to the unprecedented achievements of Moroccan football occurring in record time, there has been Morocco’s success in organizing major continental and international sporting events, such as the U23 Women’s African Cup, in addition of obtaining the organization of the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
Indeed, the experiences that the Kingdom has accumulated through the organization of these global events have earned it the trust of the largest international football body, FIFA, which did not hesitate to accept Morocco’s candidacy to organize the next World Cup in 2030, with Spain and Portugal.
Morocco has thus demonstrated its ability to shine in football and its experience and competence in hosting major events, thus showing its desire, whenever necessary, to serve African sport and contribute to its international influence.
The year 2023 was also a pivotal year for other sporting disciplines, such as athletics, boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate, judo and equestrian sports, which won world and continental titles. It was also marked by the great performances of golf and tennis.
Moroccan boxing started its season off to a flying start, with the organization of a remarkable 6th edition of the Mohammed VI International Boxing Trophy in Marrakech and the medals won by the national team (men and women) with one in gold and three in silver.
The Moroccan pugilist, Khadija El Mardi, signed a remarkable feat in the world of boxing with her -81 kg world crown won in New Delhi, becoming the first Arab and African woman to obtain this honor.
Moroccan boxing closed its season in style, with the African Championship, in Yaoundé, won by the Moroccan national team with 8 gold medals and 2 silver.
For their part, the taekwondo players have worthily represented Morocco, climbing onto the first step of the podium on several occasions, starting with the Arab Cup in Dubai, with a harvest of 13 medals (3 in gold, 3 in silver and 7 in bronze) and the African Nations Championship in Ivory Coast, with 11 medals (7 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze).
Moroccan achievements in taekwondo have not been limited to the African and Arab level and have garnered respect on a global scale, thanks to the national women’s team and the mixed team which won the silver medal at the championship of taekwondo world (Korea 2023).
School taekwondo had its share of glory to the extent that the Moroccan team won 7 medals at the School Taekwondo World Championship in Mexico (3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze) and 18 medals (8 gold , 3 in silver, 7 in bronze) during the Gymnasiades in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
The taekwondo champions for people with special needs also shone by winning their share of medals at the Mexican Grand Prix, reaching the podium twice (1 in silver, 1 in bronze).
National Muay Thai has also been in the spotlight by reaching international and continental podiums, with the national team garnering 10 medals (4 gold, 1 silver and 5 bronze) at the World Championship in the Thai capital, Bangkok, and the U23 selection, ranked first at the World Cup (Turkey 2023) with a haul of 10 medals (4 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze).
The national Muay Thai team also won 7 gold medals at the Mediterranean Championships in Loutraki, Greece.
On an individual level, champion Youssef Aswiq managed to win the Professional Muay Thai World Championship belt (72.50 kg) in Nice, France.
In turn, kickboxing won three gold and four silver medals at the Arab Team Kickboxing Championship in Iraq.
National judo reached its peak both in terms of organization and competition, since the Moroccan national team won a silver medal in the team competitions, during the 44th edition of the African Judo Championship seniors in Casablanca, while individually, the Moroccan champions won third place in the ranking, with 9 medals (2 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze).
Moroccan judokas also contributed to the exploits of national sport by occupying first place with 8 medals during the 9th edition of the Francophonie Games in Kinshasa.
This feat adds to the international influence of Moroccan judokas, with Abderrahmane Bousshita who won the -66 kg gold medal in the Perth stage, at the 2023 Oceania Open, organized in Australia, and Ikram Ben Salem who won the bronze medal (+78 kg) at the European Senior Judo Cup, organized in Malaga, Spain.
Karate, for its part, was not absent from the podium since the Moroccan national team won the title of the World Combat Games in Riyadh, after winning 6 medals. The national selection also won 4 bronze medals at the 17th Mohammed VI International Karate Cup in Rabat.
Furthermore, the year 2023 saw national athletes shine by winning the podium twice at the World Championships in Budapest. They are Soufiane Bekkali, winner of the gold medal in the 3000m steeples, for the second time in a row, and Fatima Zahrae Kerdadi, winner of the bronze medal in the marathon.
Likewise, Morocco succeeded in the challenge of organizing the Mohammed VI international meeting, a stage of the Diamond League during which Bekkali signed the best world performance of the year and broke the meeting record in 3000 m steeples in 7min 56sec 68/100th.
The Kingdom also won 57 medals, 22 gold, 16 silver and 19 bronze, once again setting a record for the number of medals during the Francophonie Games, during the 9th edition played in DR Congo.
In disabled sports, the Moroccans won seven medals, including three gold, during the World Para-Athletics Championships, with a world record in the 1500 m (T12) signed by Fatima Zahrae Idrissi in 4 min 22.15.
Morocco also finished at the top of the rankings at the Moulay El Hassan international para-athletics meeting in Marrakech, winning 39 medals (16 gold, 13 silver, 10 bronze).
Moroccan sambo also achieved satisfactory results, including the bronze medal won by Mustapha Meknage (88 kg combat) at the World Championships held in Yerevan, Armenia. Likewise, Morocco won 23 medals (13 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze) at the 17th African Championships held in Casablanca.
In cycling, Morocco has won several titles, notably at the continental level, with the gold medal in the team time trial of the 15th edition of the Arab Sports Games in Algeria and the individual and team title of the Tour of the Sahel in Mauritania.
The cyclist Mouhcine Kouraji distinguished himself, for his part, by winning the 2nd edition of the Angola Grand Prix, while Achraf Doughmi won the title of the 18th edition of the International Tour of Benin.
This year also saw the Moroccan selection punch its ticket for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, positioning itself in 26th place in the final world ranking in 2023. Likewise, the national para-cycling team qualified for the Paris Olympics, after a year rich in performances, achieved in particular by Haytham Amraoui and Mohamed Bouchfar.
The year 2023 was marked by the good performance of young Moroccan golfers in international competitions. Thus, Morocco was crowned among the ladies and youth (individual and team) in the Arab championship in Saudi Arabia.
Indeed, among the ladies (team), the title went to the Moroccans with a total of 8 shots under par. Among young boys (U18), the Moroccan team won the title with 16 shots under par, while player Kamil Bensouda took first place (-7) in the individual events of the same category.
In the women’s individual events, Moroccan Sofia Cherif Skalli took first place (-10), while the Moroccan women’s selection distinguished itself during the world amateur championships, played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, from October 18 to 28.
Likewise, Moroccan golfers dominated the Arab and African rankings of the Espirito Santo Trophy. For its part, the Moroccan amateur selection won the 42nd edition of the Arab championship in Bouskoura, dominating the ranking (-18).
On an individual level, Inès Laklalech reached the final round of the Lotte championship, which is part of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), in Hawaii, and which saw the participation of 144 golfers.
Laklalech remains the first Moroccan and Arab golfer to shine in an LPGA tournament, by qualifying for the last two rounds of the Lotte championship, after finishing the competition in 61st place, with a total of -3 strokes (74, 72 , 71, 74 moves).
Equestrian sports have also seen Morocco leave its mark on various international competitions. Thus, the Moroccan El Mehdi Chouib won the gold medal at the 16th Special Olympics World Games in Berlin. Likewise, the young riders distinguished themselves in various events, including the Morocco Royal Tour, contested in three stages (Tetouan, Rabat, El Jadida) and crowned by the Grand Prix of HM King Mohammed VI.
Furthermore, the Moroccan polo selection took second place in the Chovgan world championship, recently organized in Azerbaijan.
The national sports scene has also been marked by the death of several football stars, like former internationals Hassan Amcharrat (Assila), Larbi Ben Moussa (Mouissa) and Abdellah Bennay, as well as the young player from Wydad from Casablanca Osama Fallouh. Likewise, the national sports press family was mourned by the death of Mhammed Azzaoui, at the age of 69.
2024-04-25 22:37:03