🇲🇦MoroccoNorth Africa
Morocco versus El Salvador friendly match canceled ahead of 2026 World Cup
via Le Matin2 min read
A friendly football match between Morocco's Atlas Lions and El Salvador, originally scheduled for June 3 in the United States, has been canceled. The president of the Salvadoran Football Federation, Yamil Bukele, confirmed the cancellation via a statement on his X account on Wednesday. The primary reason for the cancellation is the inability to assemble the full Moroccan squad on time, as several key players are committed to their clubs until the end of May. Bukele stated that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation informed them it would not have its full squad available from May 29 as planned. To avoid outright cancellation, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation proposed rescheduling the match to June 2 in Morocco, offering to cover all travel expenses for the Salvadoran team. While the Salvadoran federation appreciated the offer, it was rejected due to FIFA regulations prohibiting playing on two different continents during the same international window. Additionally, El Salvador already has two friendly matches scheduled for that period. This cancellation occurs at a critical time for the Moroccan national team, less than two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup. However, the rest of their preparation schedule remains intact, including a confirmed match against Norway on June 7 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Both federations are now seeking alternative opponents to fill the gap in their schedules. The Atlas Lions, current African champions,
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Must ReadA report by the African Center for Strategic Studies and Digitalization CAESD indicates that Morocco's labor market is undergoing a profound structural transformation due to artificial intelligence. By 2030, approximately 1.5 million jobs are expected to face direct pressure, and 3.1 million positions will see their content evolve, affecting a total of 4.6 million jobs. However, the creation of new digital jobs is projected to be limited to about 180,000, resulting in a net negative balance of 1.32 million jobs. This trend is expected to intensify by 2035, with advanced automation and robotization potentially impacting 8 million jobs, with only 450,000 new positions created, leading to a net loss of 2.45 million jobs. The impact is concentrated in sectors such as offshoring and BPO services 30%, banking and insurance 22%, automotive 15%, and textiles 14%. Administrative functions, standardized analytical tasks, and support roles are among the most vulnerable. The study also highlights that qualification level does not offer absolute protection, with 17% of graduates and potentially 30% in advanced scenarios being exposed. Women, who constitute 20.6% of total employment, are overrepresented in exposed sectors, placing 350,000 to 400,000 female jobs under pressure. Young people face increased constraints due to the erosion of entry-level jobs, with unemployment for 15-24 year olds at 37.2%. Morocco's training system struggles to keep pace, producing only about 22,000 digital gr
Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi is reportedly a target for Manchester City, with the English club considering activating his 20 million euro release clause. Ounahi gained prominence during the 2022 World Cup with the Atlas Lions. Following a period at Olympique Marseille and Panathinaikos, he has revitalized his career in Spain with Girona. This season, Ounahi has scored 5 goals and provided 3 assists in 18 La Liga matches, demonstrating his impact beyond just playmaking. His ability to control the midfield, break lines, and facilitate offensive transitions is said to have attracted interest from top clubs. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reportedly sees Ounahi as a suitable profile, especially with the anticipated departure of Bernardo Silva. Ounahi's next challenge will be to replicate his World Cup performances to continue attracting major European teams.
The Basketball Africa League Sahara Conference begins this Friday, with FUS Rabat representing Morocco for the third consecutive season. FUS, coached by Saïd El Bouzidi, will open their campaign against the Ivorian team JCA Kings. The JCA Kings are described as athletic, technical, and clever, posing a challenge due to their ability to draw fouls. FUS will then face the Maktown Flyers from Nigeria, an unpredictable team with talented guards, followed by ASC Ville de Dakar from Senegal, known for their power and rebounding. Later, FUS will encounter two North African teams: Club Africain, recognized for their tough defense, and Al Ahly of Egypt, considered a favorite due to their tactical discipline and precise shooting. FUS's roster combines experienced players like Abdelhakim Zouita and Soufiane Kourdou with new foreign recruits Will Perry, Anthony Pritchard, and Abdoulaye Harouna. The team aims to compensate for the departure of Omar Abada. Rabat is hosting the BAL Sahara Conference 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex, highlighting Morocco's growing presence in African sports.
Soufiane Bouchakour, an expert, states that drought is now a structural element of agriculture, not a cyclical event. He emphasizes that the current exceptionally rainy season, with dams at 72.1% capacity compared to 36.6% a year ago, should not lead to complacency regarding adaptation efforts. Bouchakour proposes three key changes for agricultural policies: prioritizing water usage for strategic food security crops like cereals and legumes over water-intensive export crops; shifting towards conservation agriculture and improved rainfed agriculture, including direct seeding, soil cover, and drought-tolerant varieties; and revising agricultural zoning to match crops with agroclimatic regions, supported by financial aid for reconversion. He also suggests strengthening sovereignty over basic products, maintaining export positions for high-value, low-water-consuming sectors, and accelerating the use of unconventional water resources, citing the national roadmap's goal of 1.7 billion cubic meters per year of desalinated water by 2030. Bouchakour criticizes current aid mechanisms for livestock, noting their ineffectiveness despite significant investment, leading to national herd erosion and increased meat prices. He identifies three weaknesses: aid is often short-term for structural problems, poorly targeted, and lacks traceability and accountability. He advocates for counter-cyclical aid, including generalized multi-risk climate insurance and stabilization funds. To better structu