The Morocco national under-23 football team, also known as the Morocco Olympic football team, represents Morocco in international football competitions in the Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except during the Olympic Games where up to three overage players is allowed. The team is controlled by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).
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Nickname(s) | Lions de l'Atlas (Atlas Lions) | ||
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Association | Royal Moroccan Football Federation | ||
Other affiliation | Moroccan National Olympic Committee | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | UNAF (North Africa) | ||
Head coach | Tarik Sektioui | ||
Captain | Abde Ezzalzouli | ||
Home stadium | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium | ||
FIFA code | MAR | ||
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First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Rabat, Morocco; 6 September 1960) | |||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Ingolstadt, West Germany; 31 August 1972) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Tokyo, Japan; 11 October 1964) Records for competitive matches only. | |||
Olympic Games | |||
Appearances | 8 (first in 1964) | ||
Best result | Second Round (1972) | ||
U-23 Africa Cup of Nations | |||
Appearances | 2 (first in 2011) | ||
Best result | Champions (2023) |
Morocco's first appearance was in the 1964 Summer OlympicsinTokyo. In a group that consisted of three teams following North Korea's withdrawal. They suffered a heavy 0-6 defeat to Hungary - Morocco's all-time heaviest defeat to date -, then lost 1-3 to Yugoslavia and were eliminated.
Their second appearance was supposed to be during the 1968 Summer OlympicsinMexico but Morocco refused to allow its team to play against Israel in Group C due to political issues.[1] They were eventually replaced by Ghana which lost 2-3 on aggregate to Morocco in the last qualifying round.
In the 1972 editioninMunich, Morocco reached the second round as runners-up in their group with 3 points following a goalless draw against the United States, a resounding 6-0 win against Malaysia and a 0-3 loss to hosts West Germany. In the second round, The Atlas Lions lost all three games against Denmark, Poland and the Soviet Union. However, it remains the best performance of the Atlas Lions at the Olympic football tournament to date.
Morocco came extremely close to reaching the quarter-finals in the 2004 Summer Olympics, narrowly missing out on goals scored that favored Costa Rica. Morocco were 2-1 ahead in their final group game against already-qualified Iraq thanks to goals scored by Bouabid Bouden and Salaheddine Aqqal. However, in the other game, Costa Rica's Pablo Brenes scored the fourth goal in added time to seal a 4-2 win over Portugal and qualification at Morocco's expense.[2]
During the inaugural 2011 CAF U-23 Championship held in Morocco.[3] The host nation coached by Pim Verbeek, recorded narrow victories against heavy favourites Nigeria and Algeria before losing to Senegal.[4] In the semi-finals, Morocco successfully secured a spot in the 2012 Summer OlympicsinLondon by defeating Egypt 3-2 in a tense game which also saw Abdelaziz Barrada scoring the fastest goal in the history of the tournament (as of 2023) after 30 seconds. This marked the return of the Atlas Lions to the Olympic football tournament having missed out on qualifying in 2008.[5] However, they faced a setback when they suffered a 2-1 defeat against the surprising contender, Gabon, in the final held at the Marrakech Stadium.[6]
On 7 July 2022, Morocco were awarded the hosting rights of the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, marking the return of the U-23 team to the competition for the first time in 12 years.[7][8][9] Their campaign kicked off on a positive note with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Guinea,[10] followed by a resounding 5-1 triumph over Ghana, emerging as group winners and securing a place in the semifinals with one game to spare.[11][12] They went on to win the semi-final against Mali and qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.[13][14] They defeated Egypt 2-1 in the final to win their first ever continental title.[15][16] The team was congratulated by King Mohammed VI for their achievement.[17][18]
On 29 February 2024, Tarik Sektioui was appointed head coach of the men's Olympic squad by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.[19]
Win Draw Lose Voided or Postponed Fixture
16 June Friendly | Morocco | 4–1 | Mauritania | Rabat, Morocco |
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[1] | Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Attendance: 0 |
20 June Friendly | Morocco | 3–1 | Zambia | Rabat, Morocco |
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[2] |
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Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Attendance: 0 |
24 June 2023 U-23 AFCON GS | Morocco | 2–1 | Guinea | Rabat, Morocco |
21:00 UTC+1 |
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Report |
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Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Referee: Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somalia) |
27 June 2023 U-23 AFCON GS | Morocco | 5–1 | Ghana | Rabat, Morocco |
21:00 UTC+1 |
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Report |
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Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Referee: Patrice Mebiame (Gabon) |
30 June 2023 U-23 AFCON GS | Congo | 0–1 | Morocco | Rabat, Morocco |
21:00 UTC+1 | Report | Taha 7' | Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Referee: Mahmoud Nagi (Egypt) |
4 July 2023 U-23 AFCON SF | Morocco | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p) | Mali | Rabat, Morocco |
21:00 UTC+1 |
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Report |
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Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Referee: Pierre Ghislain Atcho (Gabon) |
Penalties | ||||
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8 July 2023 U-23 AFCON Final | Morocco | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Egypt | Rabat, Morocco |
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Report |
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Stadium: Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Referee: Peter Waweru (Kenya) |
7 September Friendly | Morocco | 1–0 | Brazil | Fez, Morocco |
20:00 UTC+1 |
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Stadium: Fez Stadium Referee: Sow Sandigui (Senegal) |
12 October Friendly | Morocco | 0–1 | Iraq | Casablanca, Morocco |
Report |
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Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium |
16 October Friendly | Morocco | 3–1 | Dominican Republic | Casablanca, Morocco |
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Report |
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Stadium: Père Jégo Stadium |
16 November Friendly | Morocco | 0–3 | Denmark | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
15:00 | Report |
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Stadium: Pinatar Arena |
21 November Friendly | Morocco | 1–0 | United States | San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain |
15:00 |
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Report | Stadium: Pinatar Arena |
22 March Friendly | Ukraine | 1–0 | Morocco | Antalya, Turkey |
Report | Stadium: Gloria Sports Arena |
26 March Friendly | Morocco | 2–0 | Wales | Antalya, Turkey |
Igamane | Report | Stadium: Gloria Sports Arena |
4 June Friendly | Morocco | 2–2 | Belgium | Rabat, Morocco |
Kechta 63' Maouhoub 90' |
Report | Smets 42' Dwomoh 53' |
Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium |
10 June Friendly | Morocco | Cancelled | Kosovo | Rabat, Morocco |
Stadium: Moulay Hassan Stadium |
24 July 2024 Summer Olympics | Argentina | v | Morocco | Saint-Étienne, France |
15:00 | Report | Stadium: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard |
27 July 2024 Summer Olympics | Ukraine | v | Morocco | Saint-Étienne, France |
17:00 | Report | Stadium: Stade Geoffroy-Guichard |
30 July 2024 Summer Olympics | Morocco | v | Iraq | Nice, France |
17:00 | Report | Stadium: Allianz Riviera |
Position | Name |
---|---|
Head coach | Tarik Sektioui |
Assistant coach(es) | Youssouf Hadji |
Fahd El Ouarga | |
Fitness coach | Grégory Delhomel |
Goalkeeping coach | Laurent Deraedt |
Technical director | Chris Van Puyvelde |
Video analyst | Damien Januel |
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1GK | Mohamed Reda Asmama | (2002-02-08) 8 February 2002 (age 22) | 2 | 0 | Union de Touarga | |
1GK | Rachid Ghanimi | (2001-04-25) 25 April 2001 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | FUS Rabat | |
1GK | Munir Mohamedi* | (1989-05-10) 10 May 1989 (age 35) | 0 | 0 | RS Berkane | |
2DF | Zakaria El Ouahdi | (2001-12-31) 31 December 2001 (age 22) | 13 | 3 | Genk | |
2DF | Ayman El Wafi | (2004-05-11) 11 May 2004 (age 20) | 11 | 0 | Lugano | |
2DF | Mehdi Boukamir | (2004-01-26) 26 January 2004 (age 20) | 8 | 0 | Charleroi | |
2DF | Adil Tahif | (2001-02-24) 24 February 2001 (age 23) | 5 | 0 | RS Berkane | |
2DF | Haytam Manaout | (2001-04-18) 18 April 2001 (age 23) | 3 | 0 | Union de Touarga | |
2DF | Achraf Hakimi* | (1998-11-04) 4 November 1998 (age 25) | 2 | 0 | Paris Saint-Germain | |
2DF | Akram Nakach | (2002-04-07) 7 April 2002 (age 22) | 1 | 0 | Union de Touarga | |
3MF | Oussama Targhalline | (2002-05-20) 20 May 2002 (age 22) | 10 | 1 | Le Havre | |
3MF | Benjamin Bouchouari | (2001-11-13) 13 November 2001 (age 22) | 10 | 0 | Saint-Étienne | |
3MF | Oussama El Azzouzi | (2001-05-29) 29 May 2001 (age 23) | 9 | 0 | Bologna | |
3MF | Amir Richardson | (2002-01-24) 24 January 2002 (age 22) | 8 | 1 | Reims | |
3MF | Yassine Kechta | (2002-02-25) 25 February 2002 (age 22) | 7 | 1 | Le Havre | |
3MF | El Mehdi El Moubarik | (2001-01-22) 22 January 2001 (age 23) | 4 | 0 | Raja Casablanca | |
3MF | Bilal El Khannous | (2004-05-10) 10 May 2004 (age 20) | 2 | 0 | KRC Genk | |
4FW | Abde Ezzalzouli | (2001-12-25) 25 December 2001 (age 22) | 5 | 3 | Real Betis | |
4FW | El Mehdi Maouhoub | (2003-06-05) 5 June 2003 (age 21) | 2 | 1 | Raja Casablanca | |
4FW | Ilias Akhomach | (2004-04-16) 16 April 2004 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Villarreal | |
4FW | Soufiane Rahimi* | (1996-06-02) 2 June 1996 (age 28) | 0 | 0 | Al Ain | |
4FW | Eliesse Ben Seghir | (2005-02-16) 16 February 2005 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Monaco |
* Overage player.
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club[a] | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Walid Hasbi | (2004-01-07) 7 January 2004 (age 20) | 4 | 0 | Racing StrasbourgB | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
GK | Alaa Bellaarouch | (2002-02-01) 1 February 2002 (age 22) | 8 | 0 | Racing Strasbourg | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024PRE |
DF | Ayoub Amraoui | (2004-05-14) 14 May 2004 (age 20) | 12 | 0 | Amiens | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
DF | Chadi Riad | (2003-06-17) 17 June 2003 (age 21) | 6 | 0 | Betis | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
DF | Mohamed Jaouab | (2002-05-14) 14 May 2002 (age 22) | 4 | 1 | Amiens | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
DF | Omar El Hilali | (2003-09-12) 12 September 2003 (age 20) | 4 | 0 | Espanyol | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
DF | Adam Aznou | (2006-06-02) 2 June 2006 (age 18) | 1 | 0 | Bayern Munich II | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
MF | Ismael Saibari | (2001-01-28) 28 January 2001 (age 23) | 11 | 4 | PSV Eindhoven | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
MF | Mohamed Nassoh | (2003-01-26) 26 January 2003 (age 21) | 5 | 0 | PSV Eindhoven | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
MF | Amine Souane | (2001-09-17) 17 September 2001 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | MC Oujda | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
FW | Yanis Begraoui | (2001-07-04) 4 July 2001 (age 23) | 14 | 4 | Pau | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
FW | Amine El Ouazzani | (2001-07-15) 15 July 2001 (age 22) | 13 | 2 | Guingamp | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
FW | Ibrahim Salah | (2001-08-30) 30 August 2001 (age 22) | 9 | 0 | Rennes | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
FW | Salim El Jebari | (2004-02-05) 5 February 2004 (age 20) | 5 | 0 | Atlético Madrid | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
FW | Montasser Lahtimi | (2001-04-01) 1 April 2001 (age 23) | 2 | 0 | Wydad Casablanca | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024 |
FW | Tawfik Bentayeb | (2002-01-14) 14 January 2002 (age 22) | 2 | 0 | Union de Touarga | v. Belgium, 4 June 2024PRE |
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Football at the Summer Olympics squads |
U-23 Africa Cup of Nations squads |
Football at the Islamic Solidarity Games
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Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
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El Houssaine Ouchla (DF) | Adel Chbouki (MF) | Salaheddine Bassir (FW) | |
Nadir Lamyaghri (GK) | Otmane El Assas (MF) | Bouchaib El Moubarki (FW) | |
Houssine Kharja (MF) | Nordin Amrabat (FW) | did not select | |
Munir Mohamedi (GK) | Achraf Hakimi (DF) | Soufiane Rahimi (FW) |
Olympic Games | ||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
Until 1988 | See Morocco national football team | |||||||
1992 | Round 1 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
1996 | did not qualify | |||||||
2000 | Round 1 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
2004 | Round 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
2008 | did not qualify | |||||||
2012 | Round 1 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
2016 | did not qualify | |||||||
2020 | ||||||||
2024 | Qualified | |||||||
2028 | to be determined | |||||||
2032 | ||||||||
Total | Round 1 | 5/9 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 21 |
U-23 Africa Cup of Nations | ||||||||
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Appearances: 2 | ||||||||
Year | Round | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | |
2011 | Runners-up | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | |
2015 | did not qualify | |||||||
2019 | ||||||||
2023 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | |
Total | 2/4 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 10 |
UNAF U-23 Tournament | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appearances: 3 / 4 | ||||||||
Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA |
2006 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2007 | 3rd Place | 3 | ||||||
2010 | Runners-up | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
2011 | 3rd Place | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2015 | Postponed |
Football at the Islamic Solidarity Games record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
2005 | Silver Medal | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
2010 | Cancelled | |||||||
2013 | Gold Medal | 1st | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
2017 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
2021 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
2025 | TBD | |||||||
Total | 1 title | 4/4 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 10 |