馃嚥馃嚘MoroccoNorth Africa
Eko opens Marrakech Comedy Festival with tribute to the city's spirit
via Le Matin3 min read
The Marrakech Comedy Festival commenced with DJ Red Supa setting a festive mood, followed by Eko's entrance dressed as a "guerrab" water carrier, accompanied by the Bola Bola Dekka Marrakchia musical troupe. Eko's performance paid homage to this iconic Marrakech figure, blending tradition with self-deprecating humor. The evening featured performances by several comedians. Amine Belghazi, introduced by Eko, captivated the audience with childhood-inspired humor and observations on Moroccan family life. Eko later reappeared in a suit to introduce Soufiane Figuigui, who explored family dynamics and the impact of a new sibling. Ghita Kitane, an actress and speech therapist, delivered a rhythmic act about the Africa Cup and Morocco's victory. Saifeddine Settif humorously discussed the Moroccan mother and the country's cultural diversity. Malik Bentalha performed a comedic duo with Eko, referencing Moroccan culture. Marouane Nbalssi offered a humorous take on Moroccan culinary traditions and family rituals. Azzedine Fetouhi and Ahmed Boudrouze concluded the comedic acts, and the inaugural night ended with a musical performance by Mounim Slimani. The festival, running from June 4 to 6, includes solo shows and galas, with Nordine Ganso and Malik Bentalha scheduled for Friday, and Yassar and another Malik Bentalha gala on Saturday.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
During the 2026 World Cup, several footballers saw a significant increase in their social media popularity. Achraf Hakimi gained 1,850,521 new Instagram followers, an increase of 7.9%, bringing his total to 25,325,369. A sponsored post on his account could now be worth approximately $253,254. Erling Haaland led the tournament in new followers with 31.8 million, a 78.3% increase. Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha was a surprise second, gaining 29.5 million new followers, a more than 93,400% increase. England's Jude Bellingham was third with nearly 11.9 million new followers. Norway topped the team rankings with over 34.2 million new followers, largely due to Haaland. Cape Verde was second, ahead of Argentina and Brazil. In the final phase of the tournament, between the semi-finals and the final from July 16-20, Lamine Yamal saw the biggest growth with nearly 4 million new followers, surpassing Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. Ferran Torres, who scored a decisive goal in the final, also significantly increased his Instagram popularity. These figures from MyBettingSites.co.uk highlight the World Cup's impact on players' digital recognition beyond their on-field performance.
Badou Zaki, former coach of the Atlas Lions, has signed a one-year contract to lead the Jordanian national football team, known as the Nashama. His official presentation and that of his technical staff are expected soon. Zaki follows two Moroccan predecessors, Jamal Sellami, who led the Nashama to their first World Cup qualification and Arab Cup final, and Houcine Ammouta, who guided Jordan to their first Asian Cup final. These achievements highlight the influence of Moroccan football expertise on Jordanian football. Zaki, a prominent figure in Moroccan football, was a goalkeeper in the historic 1986 World Cup campaign in Mexico and won the African Player of the Year award the same year. As a coach, he led the Atlas Lions to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations final in Tunisia and has managed several Botola clubs, including Wydad Casablanca and FUS Rabat. His international coaching experience also includes national teams for Sudan and Niger. Zaki's primary objective with Jordan is to win the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled from January 7 to February 5 in Saudi Arabia.
Issa Diop is reportedly close to joining Ipswich Town, a newly promoted Premier League club. Fulham and Ipswich have reached an agreement for a permanent transfer of the Moroccan defender, which is expected to be worth nearly 10 million euros for Fulham. Diop, who has made 173 Premier League appearances with West Ham and Fulham, has reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with Ipswich and is awaiting a medical examination. Meanwhile, Redouane Halhal, another defender, is considering leaving KV Mechelen for a more competitive league. French and Italian clubs are reportedly interested in the 23-year-old, who played 33 matches last season and participated in two World Cup games for the Atlas Lions, against Haiti and Canada. No official offers have been made for Halhal yet.