馃嚥馃嚘MoroccoNorth Africa
Fouzi Lekjaa visits Atlas Lions ahead of 2026 World Cup match against Brazil
via Le Matin1 min read
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation FRMF, visited the national team at "Pingry School" where they are preparing for the 2026 World Cup. The visit occurred just hours before the Atlas Lions begin their World Cup campaign. Lekjaa met with the technical staff, led by Mohamed Ouahbi, and then with the players, offering encouragement and conveying the support of the national football community. Morocco is set to start its World Cup journey on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey against Brazil, a strong contender in the competition. Following this match, the Atlas Lions will face Scotland and then Haiti in Group C. Lekjaa's presence symbolizes unity for the national team, especially after their historic performance in the 2022 World Cup, as they prepare for high expectations in this new global adventure.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
Forty years after Morocco's historic performance at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, players Abderrazak Kha茂ri and Abdelkrim Merry, known as Krimau, shared their memories at an event called "Hkaya Bdat f Mexico." On June 11, 1986, Morocco defeated Portugal 3-1, with Kha茂ri scoring twice and Merry adding another goal, making them the first African and Arab team to reach the Round of 16 in a World Cup. Kha茂ri expressed pride in honoring Morocco and hoped the current national team would succeed in the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Krimau emphasized the importance of intergenerational transmission, noting that Moroccans have never forgotten the 1986 team. He believes the legacy of Mexico 86 should inspire the current team, led by Mohamed Ouahbi, to make history, similar to Walid Regragui's team in 2022. The event in Casablanca highlighted Morocco's football journey, from being the first African nation to reach the Round of 16 in 1986 to becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals in 2022, establishing itself as a global football reference.
More than 20,000 new individual Moroccan investors entered the Casablanca Stock Exchange in 2025, according to the fifth edition of the "Capital Market in Figures" report by the Moroccan Capital Market Authority AMMC. The number of active individual Moroccan clients of brokerage firms increased from 11,931 investors in 2024 to 32,002 in 2025, a 168% rise. These investors now constitute 91% of brokerage firms' total clientele. By the end of 2025, the market had 35,287 active clients, up from nearly 14,600 the previous year, indicating a renewed interest in stock market investments. The total number of securities accounts reached 401,169 by the end of 2025, with resident individuals holding 90% of these accounts. The year 2025 saw a significant increase in activity on the Casablanca market, with the overall trading volume growing by 63% to 161.1 billion dirhams. The central market's activity surged by 98.2% year-on-year. The market's liquidity ratio also improved from 12.5% in 2024 to 14.2% in 2025. Despite the rise in individual investors, institutional investors continue to dominate equity market trading. Moroccan legal entities accounted for 34% of traded volumes, followed by Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities UCITS at 30%. Moroccan individuals held a significant 26% of traded volumes, confirming their growing involvement. Foreign investors maintained a stable presence, representing 5% of exchanged flows, with their share of capitalization, inc
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation FRMF confirmed the withdrawals of Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Nayef Aguerd from the 2026 World Cup squad ahead of Morocco's match against Brazil. Ezzalzouli will miss the tournament due to a right knee sprain with a high-grade lesion of the medial collateral ligament. He expressed disappointment on social media but also determination to return stronger, wishing his team success. Aguerd's medical recovery is progressing, but he will not be fit enough to participate in the group stage. He clarified on social media that his absence is not due to a relapse, but a joint decision with the staff, as his current performance level is not 100% for the competition. He stated he would be the team's biggest supporter. To replace them, the FRMF announced that Amine Sba茂 and Marwane Sa芒dane, who were previously reserves, have been added to the final 26-player roster by national coach Mohammed Ouahbi.