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Rabat – Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaa has expressed concern over the declining presence of domestic league players in Morocco’s national teams, urging football stakeholders to develop a national strategy to restore the Botola Pro as a key source of talent.
Speaking during a meeting yesterday with coaches from Morocco’s first and second division clubs in Sale ahead of the new football season, Lekjaa questioned why the domestic league is no longer supplying players capable of competing at the highest international level.
He pointed to Morocco’s squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, noting that only two reserve goalkeepers came from the Botola Pro, while no locally based midfielders or forwards were included. Lekjaa recalled that the Moroccan league once formed the backbone of the national team.
According to the FRMF president, the trend extends beyond the senior team. Morocco’s youth national teams, including the U-23 and U-17 sides, now rely heavily on players developed abroad, with only a limited number coming from domestic clubs or the Mohammed VI Football Academy.
Lekjaa stressed that Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal require a collective effort from coaches, club presidents, and football officials to improve the standard of the domestic league and create better pathways for local talent.
FRMF Technical Development Director Fathi Jamal echoed those concerns, admitting that youth development programs have yet to achieve their objectives because young players receive limited playing time in the Botola Pro.
Jamal revealed that Morocco’s current U-18 squad, which is training in Spain, includes 20 locally based players. However, most of them rarely feature for their clubs, receiving only occasional minutes during league matches.
He also highlighted Union Touarga as a positive example of a club helping graduates from the Mohammed VI Football Academy transition into professional football.
The FRMF plans to hold another meeting with club presidents to develop a shared roadmap aimed at increasing opportunities for young Moroccan players and strengthening the future of the country’s national teams.
