CAN U20: The Mohammed VI Football Academy at the Heart of the National Teams’ Success
With no fewer than 7 players from the ranks of the Moroccan team qualified for the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) under-20, the Mohammed VI Football Academy continues to be at the core of the achievements of the various national teams.
Hamza Koutoune, Fouad Zahouani, Houssam Essadak, Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, Yassir Zabiri, Mouad Dahak, and Ahmad Khatir are the young “Lion Cubs” from the Mohammed VI Academy who will compete in the CAN U20 final with Morocco on Sunday in Cairo against South Africa, hoping to become African champions and follow in the footsteps of their younger U17 counterparts.
Indeed, the U17 Lion Cubs made history just a month ago by winning the continental title at home against Mali.
Among this U17 team crowned African champions for the first time in the history of Moroccan football in this category, 4 players come from the Mohammed VI Academy:
Soufiane El Idrissi, Ilyass Hidaoui, Adam Jout, and the heroic goalkeeper Chouaib Bellaarouch, who stood out during the competition with his saves and decisive penalty stops in the semi-final and final shootouts.
At every continental or international competition, graduates of the Mohammed VI Academy demonstrate the full extent of their talent, confirming that this center of sporting excellence is a true supplier of high-level footballers.
The mission of the Mohammed VI Academy is to identify promising young Moroccan football talents through a rigorous recruitment process and an extensive scouting infrastructure spread across the Kingdom, to train and support them on the path to excellence. The Academy has established itself more than ever as a reference model to be followed by many countries.
Admired worldwide, the Academy has been doing remarkable work since its inauguration on March 28, 2010, by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, aiming to promote the competitiveness of Moroccan football and enhance its international reputation. The results have not been long in coming.
In recent years, the common denominator across various national football teams has been the Mohammed VI Academy, which has trained generations of elite players since its creation, many of whom are now key players in the senior, U23, U20, and U17 squads, among others.
Thanks to a comprehensive training system based on education, discipline, and hard work, this prestigious institution now provides top-level players to national teams, who perform impressively on continental and international stages.
Following a sport-study curriculum that meets international standards, the Academy allows beneficiaries to refine their athletic skills alongside their studies to successfully pursue careers as professional footballers and eventually play for the best clubs in Morocco and abroad.
Young aspiring footballers also benefit from the experience and expertise of coaches and technical staff within this reference structure, enabling them to become high-level players who cultivate the spirit of effort and perseverance daily.
The modern and high-quality facilities of the Academy also enable them to optimize their football potential and improve their performance under ideal conditions.
The Mohammed VI Academy, a true center of sporting excellence, perfectly embodies Morocco’s strategy for football training, which includes talent scouting and detection across different regions of the Kingdom, enhancing young players’ potential, and strengthening the skills of national technical staff.
