Closing of the mini-football championship “Road to AFCON Morocco 2025” in Salé
The national mini-football championship “Road to AFCON Morocco 2025”, organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, came to a close on Thursday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex near Salé, with the finals of the men’s and women’s categories.
Launched in partnership with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), as part of Morocco’s preparations to host the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 from December 21 to January 18, this 6×6 mini-football championship aimed to give young people the opportunity to attend AFCON events while encouraging them to practice sports and contribute to the development of national football.
The tournament, which began in mid-June, unfolded in three main phases: the provincial qualifiers, the regional qualifiers and the national finals.
The closing day, marked by the men’s and women’s final matches, took place in the presence of the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and the president of the FRMF, Fouzi Lekjaa.
The men’s title was won by the team representing the Marrakech-Safi region, which defeated the representatives of the Guelmim-Oued Noun region by 2 goals to 0. In the women’s category, the representatives of the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region dominated the representatives of the Drâa-Tafilalet region, winning 2-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in regular time.
For Kenza Abourmane, Director of Youth at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the day marked the culmination of an important program tied to Morocco’s preparation for hosting the Africa Cup of Nations.
“The finals took place in an exceptional atmosphere filled with fair play, enthusiasm and team spirit,” said Ms. Abourmane in a statement to the press, highlighting the role of young people in the success of major events organized in Morocco.
“The youth play an essential role in the success of events organized in Morocco, such as AFCON, particularly in volunteering, contributing to support efforts, encouraging teams, engaging in debates linked to football or integrating into sports economy projects,” the official noted.
For the participating teams, the competition provided a valuable opportunity to face opponents from different regions of the Kingdom and to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of AFCON 2025.
“Thanks to the efforts of the players and the staff, we won the final. To get here, we went through a long and challenging journey that began with the provincial qualifiers,” said Ayoub Bourhim, coach of the Génération de Solidarité Tanger association, representing the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region and winner of the competition, in a statement to MAP.
Alongside the tournament, the ministry organized cultural activities and programs for young people to promote Morocco’s hosting of AFCON 2025. These activities focused in particular on raising awareness against violence in stadiums, citizenship, supporting and encouraging national teams, and other related themes.
Editorial team/le7tv
