Rabat – The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has appointed former Moroccan international Ahmed Kantari as the new head coach of the Morocco U-17 national team.
The appointment is part of the federation’s broader strategy to strengthen its national technical staff by relying on Moroccan coaching talent with experience both domestically and abroad.
In an official statement, the FRMF highlighted Kantari’s extensive football career, which began as a player. The former defender represented Morocco at international level and spent several years playing professionally, particularly in France, before moving into coaching following his retirement in 2019.
Kantari began his coaching career with French club Valenciennes, where he joined the technical staff. In 2020, he moved to English side Nottingham Forest as an assistant to Sabri Lamouchi, before following the French coach to Qatari club Al-Duhail.
The coach returned to Valenciennes in 2021, where he worked with both the first-team coaching staff and the reserve side. He was subsequently promoted to head coach of the first team, a position he held until November 2024.
In late 2024, Kantari joined French club Nantes as part of the first-team technical staff. He later took charge as head coach in December 2025, remaining in the position until March 2026.
His appointment by the FRMF comes as Morocco continues to place greater emphasis on developing young players and strengthening the national teams at youth level.
Kantari also holds the UEFA Pro coaching license, the highest coaching qualification issued by UEFA, further underlining his technical credentials and experience.
The 39-year-old coach will now take charge of Morocco’s U-17 national team as the federation looks to build a strong generation of young players capable of competing at continental and international level.
