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Must Read🇲🇦Le Matin·27 mins ago
CAN 2027: "Pamoja" project faces pressure with 28-team expansion
The Confederation of African Football CAF has increased the pressure on the organizers of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations CAN by validating a 28-team format. This decision comes amid serious concerns within African football bodies regarding the logistical viability of the "Pamoja" joint bid, which was originally designed for a 24-team tournament. The bid, involving Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, is experiencing significant delays in strategic construction projects. In Kenya, the renovation of Kasarani Stadium and the construction of new venues are behind schedule due to budgetary and administrative constraints. Uganda's modernization of Mandela National Stadium in Kampala and the Hoima project are also struggling to meet deadlines. Tanzania appears to be making more encouraging progress, but coordination among sites in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Zanzibar remains a challenge. The addition of four more teams necessitates more matches, more approved training grounds, increased hotel capacity, and a fully operational cross-border transport network. While CAF President Patrice Motsepe expresses confidence in the East African governments, recent CAF inspection reports indicate a race against time for the host trio. The 28-team format will significantly alter the competition's structure, with a proposed group stage of seven groups of four teams. The top two from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, would advance to the round of 16. This format will increase the numbe
2 min read
🇲🇦Le Matin·45 mins ago
Morocco's Atlas Lions achieve record market value after 2026 World Cup performance
The market value of Morocco's Atlas Lions has reached a historic high of 512.7 million euros, according to Transfermarkt, following their performance in the 2026 World Cup. This figure represents a significant increase from under 300 million euros in 2022, nearly doubling in four years due to the emergence of a new generation of players and their growing presence in major European leagues. Ayyoub Bouaddi, an 18-year-old midfielder, saw his valuation rise by 30 million euros to 80 million euros, making him, alongside Achraf Hakimi, the most valuable Moroccan player in the national team's history. Ismaël Saibari, a midfielder for Bayern Munich, also experienced a substantial increase, with his market value now at 55 million euros, up from 40 million. Neil El Aynaoui, Chadi Riad, and Azzedine Ounahi also saw their valuations increase to 30 million, 20 million, and 18 million euros, respectively. This 512.7 million euro valuation is based solely on the 26 players selected for the 2026 World Cup. If other key players who did not participate, such as Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Hamza Igamane, Nayef Aguerd, and Eliesse Ben Seghir, were included, the total market value of the Atlas Lions would exceed 600 million euros. This growth highlights the team's unprecedented rise, driven by a mix of experienced players and young talents sought after by top European clubs, and reflects their individual performances during the World Cup and consistent player development.
🇲🇦Le Matin·1 hour ago
Tanger Med Port Authority receives favorable financial ratings from Moody's and S&P
Tanger Med Port Authority TMPA has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining its first financial ratings from Moody's Ratings and Standard & Poor's Global Ratings. Moody's Ratings assigned TMPA a Baa3 rating with a stable outlook, also providing a Scorecard-Indicated Outcome of Baa1 by the end of 2025, which is three notches above the sovereign rating. Standard & Poor's Global Ratings gave TMPA a BBB- rating, also with a stable outlook, and a stand-alone credit profile of "bbb". Both agencies highlighted several structural strengths of the port operator, including its geostrategic location at the center of major intercontinental maritime routes, its leadership in transshipment in the Western Mediterranean, and the quality of its client portfolio. This portfolio includes major global shipping companies such as A.P. Moller-Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd, all bound by long-term concession contracts. The agencies also noted TMPA's pricing flexibility, commercial resilience, and its strategic role in integrating Morocco into global markets. Tanger Med Port Authority stated that these ratings, which follow a four-year process with international agencies, aim to enhance financial transparency and governance, and strengthen its credibility with international investors for funding its development program.