Sports across Africa, much like other sectors, often show bursts of progress, only to falter again or remain trapped in a cycle. For a continent where football is its most popular sport, a historic inability to build from a position of strength or progress has been a persistent challenge. However, for all this long-standing satisfaction with mediocrity and underperformance, Morocco in recent years stands out as an exception, seemingly doing everything right to ensure lasting progress.

For a country not as decorated as Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria in terms of trophies and appearances at major tournaments, Morocco shook the world at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they finished above powerhouses like Croatia, Belgium and Canada in the group stage. The Atlas Lions went on to eliminate Spain and Portugal, becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals — 36 years after they made history as the first African team to finish top of a World Cup group and to advance to the knockout stage in 1986.

Although Morocco missed out on a podium finish after losses to France (in the semis) and Croatia (in the third-place play-off), their groundbreaking performance opened new doors for the country’s football trajectory and hinted at even more to come in the years ahead.

About six months after the men’s historic campaign in Qatar, the Moroccan women’s national team (Atlas Lionesses) replicated history. They became the first Arab women’s team and the first North African women’s team to reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

Due credit to the Fouzi Lekjaa-led Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), who are fostering inclusiveness for women’s, and age-grade teams — an uncommon approach among African football associations. Off the pitch, Morocco’s state-of-the-art facilities and robust infrastructure have earned them attention as a prime location for major tournaments. After hosting the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2023, all other imminent competitions in Africa are destined for the North African country.

Looking ahead, Morocco is set to host:

• 2024 Women’s CAF Champions League in November.

• 2024 CAF Awards (for the second consecutive time).

• 2024 WAFCON and 2025 AFCON (the first nation to host back-to-back WAFCON tournaments).

The pinnacle of Morocco’s growth is the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal. This is a monumental win for Morocco after five unsuccessful bids to host the World Cup in 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, and 2026. 

This remarkable perseverance and global football readiness becomes even more significant when you consider that the last and only African nation to host the World Cup was South Africa in 2010. Essentially, Morocco will co-host the Mundial two decades after the continent last had the opportunity and the first time a North African country will do so.

These developments reflect a thriving football community that transcends national teams, considering the success and consistency of the Moroccan clubs: Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane (for men) and AS FAR (for women) in CAF competitions. While it’s true that club success isn’t uncommon among North African teams, Morocco’s rise is grounded in well-thought-out strategies and intentionality — rather than the usual individual brilliance, singular team focus, and sporadic seriousness that often characterise the continent.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Morocco is poised to continue flourishing as a regional and continental sporting powerhouse. There has never been a better time for other nations in Africa to organise themselves and follow this example, or risk falling behind their counterparts, as they have done with European and South American teams for far too long.