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Rabat – The president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, has opened up about the future of football in Morocco and Africa in light of the 2018 World Cup, Morocco 2026, and CAN 2019.
A guest of the MAP forum on Tuesday, Lekjaa gave a presentation on all the football news that has made headlines recently, including Morocco’s participation in the FIFA 2018 World Cup and Morocco’s 2026 World Cup bid. The forum was held under the theme “The outcomes of FRMF and evaluation of Morocco’s participation in the 2018 World Cup.”
Morocco’s defeat against United 2026 did not prevent the FRMF chief from describing his pride in the efficiency of Morocco’s bid to host the international competition.
“The Morocco 2026 dossier has made historic achievements such as FIFA’s recognition of the Kingdom’s assets to host a World Cup,” said Lekjaa.
Lekjaa also said that FRMF works to ensure that sports companies promote national football.
Promising generation of players
Speaking about the Alas Lions, Lekjaa said that Morocco has a “promising generation of players embodying the future of national football, who are working tirelessly to meet the challenge of upcoming continental and international sporting events.”
Lekjaa believes that Morocco’s Atlas Lions could have achieved better results in the 2018 World Cup, “which was not the case because of Morocco’s long absence from the World Cup and because of the referee, as well as our choices in the first game that have negatively affected the morale of the players.”
He added that video assistant referee (VAR) is certainly an added value for football. “However, this technique should not have been tried out in a World Cup.”
Thank you fans
Lekjaa did not forget the support of Moroccan football fans in Russia and worldwide for the Atlas Lions at the World Cup.
“These exceptional fans have shown that they have a rich football tradition,” he said.
He added that the fans aspire to see a strong national team and that their needs must be taken into consideration by all stakeholders on the football field.
He also called on the national football team to give their audience what they deserve: balanced progress.
Moroccan fans “call for more efforts on our part to meet their expectations at future meetings.”
CAN 2019
Lekjaa could not discuss Morocco’s participation in the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2019 without shutting down the rumors about the departure of Morocco’s head coach, Herve Renard.
The FRMF boss reassured Moroccans that Renard will lead the Atlas Lions during the African competition.
Lekjaa said that Morocco’s participation in the World Cup should give them a boost to do better in upcoming competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2019).
“We want a competitive national team and Hervé Renard will continue his mission,” he said.
Another bid to host World Cup
Lekjaa also talked about Morocco’s possibility of bidding jointly to host the 2030 World Cup with neighboring countries.
He said Morocco has not yet studied the possibility. Both Tunisia and Algeria have said they would consider a joint Maghreb bid.
“It is an issue that will be decide at the political level,” he said.
Recently, several news outlets, analysts, and even the Secretary-General Taieb Baccouche of the Maghreb Arab Union encouraged Maghreb countries to bid jointly to win the rights to host the World Cup as FIFA prefers joint bids.
