Sport in Morocco
Encyclopedia
Sport in Morocco refers to the sports played in the Kingdom of Morocco. As of 2007, Moroccan society participated in many sports, including handball, football
, golf
, tennis
, basketball
, and athletics. Hicham El Guerrouj
, a retired middle distance runner for Morocco, won 2 gold medals for Morocco at the Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics
.
Morocco hosted the 2002 Morocco Cup
which was well attended. Sri Lanka beat South Africa in the final.
Morocco boasts an ICC approved ground capable of hosting full internationals, the National Cricket Stadium in Tangier. It has so far hosted one One Day International triangular tournament, the Morocco Cup in 2002, where Sri Lanka won ahead of South Africa and Pakistan.
title, won in 1965
.
i nations, Moroccan rugby tended to look to Europe for inspiration, rather than to the rest of Africa.
Notable Moroccan players include:
on May 22, 2010.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and athletics. Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...
, a retired middle distance runner for Morocco, won 2 gold medals for Morocco at the Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
Football
- Morocco national football teamMorocco national football teamThe Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
- Morocco national under-23 football teamMorocco national under-23 football teamMorocco Olympic football team represents Morocco in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players...
- Morocco national under-20 football teamMorocco national under-20 football team-African Cup of Nations:* Round 2 : 1979, 1983, 1985.* Semi-final : 1987, 2005.* Winner : 1997.. Safouane-Current squad:...
- Morocco women's national football teamMorocco women's national football teamThe Morocco women's national football team represents Morocco in international women's football and is controlled by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation...
- GNF 1GNF 1The Botola , is the top division of the Moroccan football league system, the highest football league in Morocco.-History:The first edition of the Moroccan Football League under the FRMF was created in 1956/1957 just after the independence of Morocco....
- GNF 2GNF 2GNF 2 , is the second division of the Moroccan football league, behind the Botola, the highest football league in Morocco. It features 19 teams across the country who compete for the top two positions in the competition which at the end of the season allows them promotion to the Botola...
- GNFA
- GNFA 2
Motorsport
- Moroccan Grand PrixMoroccan Grand PrixThe Moroccan Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor racing event begun in 1925 in Casablanca, Morocco with the official denomination of "Casablanca Grand Prix"....
(Formula One, sports car and touring car racing) - Marrakech Street CircuitMarrakech Street CircuitThe Marrakech Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in Agdal district, Marrakech, Morocco. The circuit is venturing by MGP....
(World Touring Car Championship)
Stadiums
- Stade d'AgadirStade d'AgadirStade d'Agadir is a multi-use stadium in Agadir, Morocco, that is currently under construction. It will be used mostly for football matches. The stadium will have a capacity of 45,480 people....
(Under construction) - Stade Cheikh Laaghdef
- Stade Complexe Sportif
- Stade d'Honneur
- Stade Larbi ZaouliStade Larbi ZaouliStade Larbi Zaouli is a multi-use stadium in Casablanca, Morocco. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Tihad Sportif Casablanca. The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 people....
- Stade Mohammed V
- Stade Moulay AbdellahStade Moulay AbdellahPrince Moulay Abdellah Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Rabat, Morocco. It is named after Prince Moulay Abdallah of Morocco. It was built in 1983 and is the home ground of FAR Rabat. It is currently used mostly for football matches and it can also stage athletics. The stadium holds 52,000...
- Stade de TangerStade de TangerStade de Tanger, also known as the Stade Ibn Battouta, is a multi-use stadium in Tanger, Morocco. Once completed in 2011, it will be used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 45,000 people...
- Stade de MarrakechStade de MarrakechStade de Marrakech, The Marrakesh Stadium, is a multi-use stadium in Marrakech, Morocco. It was designed by Gregotti Associati International....
- Complexe OCPComplexe OCPComplexe OCP is a multi-use stadium in Khouribga, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of Olympique Khouribga. The stadium holds 10,000 people....
- Saniat RmelSaniat RmelSaniat Rmel is a football stadium in Tetouan, Morocco. It is the home ground of Moghreb Athletic Tétouan....
- Stade Al InbiaâteStade Al InbiaâteStade Al Inbiaâte is a multi-use stadium in Agadir, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of Hassania Agadir. The stadium holds 10,000 people. It is due to be replaced by Stade d'Agadir in December 2009....
- Stade El AbdiStade El AbdiStade El Abdi is a multi-use stadium in El Jadida, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of Difaa El Jadida. The stadium holds 15,000 people....
- Stade El HartiStade El HartiStade El Harti is a multi-use stadium in Marrakech, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of Kawkab Marrakech. The stadium holds 20,000 people. It is due to be replaced by Stade de Marrakech in 2009....
- Stade El MassiraStade El MassiraStade El Massira is a multi-use stadium in Safi, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of Olympique Safi. The stadium holds 10,000 people....
- Stade Marche VerteStade Marche VerteStade Marche Verte was a multi-use stadium in Salé, Morocco. It was mostly used for football matches and hosted the home games of AS Salé. The stadium held 4,000 people before its destruction in 2006 for the Bou Regreg development project....
- Stade Municipal (Kenitra)Stade Municipal (Kenitra)Stade Municipal is a multi-purpose stadium in Kenitra, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of KAC Kenitra. The stadium has a capacity of 15,000 people....
- Stade Sidi BernoussiStade Sidi BernoussiStade Sidi Bernoussi is a multi-use stadium in Casablanca, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000 people.The stadium is home of Rachad Bernoussi football team....
- Stade d'Honneur (Meknes)Stade d'Honneur (Meknes)Stade d'Honneur is a multi-use stadium in Meknes, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of CODM Meknès. The stadium holds 20,000 people....
- Stade de MarchanStade de MarchanStade de Marchan is a multi-use stadium in Tangier, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of IR Tanger. The stadium holds 14,000 people. It is due to be replaced by Stade de Tanger in 2009....
- Stade du 20 AoûtStade du 20 AoûtStade du 18 novembre is a multi-use stadium in Khemisset, Morocco. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of IZK Khemisset. The stadium holds 10,000 people....
- Complexe Al Amal de Casablanca
Cricket
- Morocco national cricket team
Morocco hosted the 2002 Morocco Cup
2002 Morocco Cup
The 2002 Morocco Cup was a three-team cricket tournament which took place in Tangier, Morocco in August of 2002. The teams competing were Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa. Each side met each other twice in a round robin format...
which was well attended. Sri Lanka beat South Africa in the final.
Morocco boasts an ICC approved ground capable of hosting full internationals, the National Cricket Stadium in Tangier. It has so far hosted one One Day International triangular tournament, the Morocco Cup in 2002, where Sri Lanka won ahead of South Africa and Pakistan.
Basketball
Morocco, represented by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Basket-Ball, has been affiliated to FIBA since 1936 . The mens' national team has won one FIBA Africa ChampionshipFIBA Africa Championship
The FIBA Africa Championship is the men's basketball continental championship of Africa, played biennially under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball, the basketball sport governing body, and the African zone thereof...
title, won in 1965
FIBA Africa Championship 1965
The FIBA Africa Championship 1965 was hosted by Tunisia from March 28 to April 2, 1965. The games were played in Tunis. Morocco won the tournament, its first African Championship, by going undefeated in the round robin format.-Competing Nations:...
.
Rugby Union
Rugby came to Morocco in the early 20th century, mainly by the French who occupied the country. As a result, Moroccan rugby was tied to the fortunes of France during the two world wars, with many Moroccan players going away to fight. Like many other MaghrebMaghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
i nations, Moroccan rugby tended to look to Europe for inspiration, rather than to the rest of Africa.
Notable Moroccan players include:
- Abdelatif BenazziAbdelatif BenazziAbdelatif Benazzi is a French-Moroccan rugby union footballer who represented both Morocco and France. He played as a lock or back row forward....
- Said Boucha
- Abdellatif BoutatyAbdellatif BoutatyAbdellatif Boutaty is a Moroccan rugby union footballer. He plays as a lock.-Career:Boutaty played at the Moroccan amateur team of COC, in Casablanca, moving then to Vallée du Girou, in Toulouse, France. He then was assigned to his first major team, Stade Toulousain...
- Rachid Karmouchi
- Djalil NarjissiDjalil NarjissiDjalil Narjissi is a Moroccan rugby union footballer who currently plays in the Top 14, for Agen, France. He joined Agen in 2004, having previously played for Castres. Narjissi also acts as the captain for the Morocco national team....
- Christian CarrereChristian CarrèreChristian Carrère, born on July 27, 1943 in Tarbes, France, is a former rugby union player. He played for the French Rugby team as a flanker.- Club :* Stadoceste Tarbais* RC Toulonnais...
, captain of
Hockey
Morocco was admitted into the International Ice Hockey FederationInternational Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
on May 22, 2010.