French Outlet: Morocco's U-17 AFCON Triumph Leads African Football’s ‘Golden Generation’

On Monday, Foot Mercato, a specialized outlet, reported that Morocco’s exceptional talent pool has propelled them to the summit of African football. This achievement follows the Atlas Lions' triumph over Mali in the U-17 AFCON finals, which was decided through an exciting penalty shootout.

The 2008-2009 cohort created history by being the first ever to claim victory in the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), noted the publication.

Boasting an impressively strong lineup, the team spearheaded by ex-Moroccan international Nabil Baha, known for his time at Montpellier, was regarded as one of the top contenders in the competition.

The head coach had confidence in multiple gifted athletes, beginning with the squad's standout player Abdellah Ouazane, whose pivotal contributions from central midfield included 2 goals and 2 assists throughout the tournament.

Morocco also had a dependable goalkeeper during crucial times named Chouaib Bellaarouch. Having been trained at the well-known Mohammed VI Academy, he demonstrates significant room for growth. The French website reports that several clubs in France have shown interest in bringing him over this summer.

Ilies Belmokhtar is another notable performer. The talented AS Monaco winger consistently impressed throughout the game. From the first match onwards, he shone brightly and was arguably Morocco’s most effective offensive player, as mentioned by the source.

This Moroccan squad also includes several notable talents poised to make their mark in coming years. A standout among them is Ibrahim Rabbaj, often referred to as the "Moroccan Messi," playing for Chelsea. According to Foot Mercato, he is considered a high-potential player with the potential to emerge prominently in the near future.

A comparable situation involves Elyes Ghrissi, a midfielder with Auxerre. After receiving his first call-up early this year, he swiftly secured a starting position during preparatory games and cemented himself as an essential player for the team’s campaign. His potential continues to attract significant attention from talent scouts across Europe, according to Foot Mercato.

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Royal Air Maroc and Mauritania Airlines Forge Strategic Alliance

On April 4th, Royal Air Maroc and Mauritania Airlines entered into a strategic alliance in Casablanca with the aim of bolstering their direct flights between Casablanca and Nouakchott. This pact encompasses a "free flow" codeshare agreement as well as cooperation across multiple domains including maintenance, ground operations, professional development, technological advancement, and personnel management.

This partnership will provide passengers of both carriers with an enhanced travel journey and improved global connectivity. Royal Air Maroc plans to boost its weekly flights between Casablanca and Nouakchott from seven to nine times per week, whereas Mauritania Airlines aims to elevate their frequency on this route from six to nine times weekly.

The addition of four new locations to the codeshare will allow passengers of Mauritania Airlines to travel to Madrid, Paris, Dubai, and Luanda through Casablanca.

This accord marks the initial partnership between our carriers," stated Hamid Addou, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Air Maroc. "It bolsters our position within Africa and improves the level of service we provide to our clients." On the part of Mauritania Airlines, his colleague Ahmed Salem Mohamed Vall Ammi referred to this development as "an essential advancement that broadens opportunities for both travelers and network connections across our services.

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Morocco Crowned Top Tourism Partner for Italy in 2025

Morocco has been honored with the title "Best Partner Tourism Destination for 2025" from Welcome Travel Group, which is among Italy’s premier travel organizations.

The accolade was awarded at the organization's yearly gathering in Casablanca on April 5-6, which saw participation from approximately 1,500 leading Italian figures in the tourism sector, such as travel agency executives, tour operators, air carriers, and event planners.

Asherf Faida, who serves as the Director General of the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT), accepted the accolade from the President of the Welcome Travel Group.

This recognition highlights Morocco’s increasing significance in the Italian tourism sector. As stated by ONMT, this honor symbolizes the nation's persistent endeavors to boost its profile within Italy, emphasizing the crucial alliance with the Welcome Travel Group. This group accounts for 44%, or 2,492 travel agencies, of the regional marketplace.

The event’s organization in Morocco itself symbolizes the trust Italian tourism professionals have in the country and is expected to positively impact Morocco’s image as a top tourist destination.

The event attracted wide media coverage, including 12 specialized outlets, enhancing Morocco’s global tourism profile. This achievement aligns with ONMT’s “Light In Action” strategy to boost Morocco’s presence in priority markets through focused partnerships and fieldwork.

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Morocco Ranks Among Top 20 Global Leaders in Solar-Powered Green Hydrogen Production

A recently released report from the Attaqa The platform highlighted that Morocco, together with six additional Arab nations, is positioned within the global top 20 for anticipated green hydrogen production using solar energy.

This particular Arab region, which includes some of the globe's biggest solar installations in countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Oman, holds considerable potential for clean hydrogen production.

By the close of 2024, announced and planned hydrogen initiatives across the Arab region had skyrocketed to 127, which is almost four times as many as those recorded in 2021. These ventures cover various aspects including production, distribution, and usage.

According to the report, Morocco holds the third position amongst Arab nations aiming to generate hydrogen through solar power, anticipating an output capability of 24.49 gigawatts, which would rank it as the fourth largest producer worldwide.

The kingdom reportedly has 92 megawatts of solar-powered hydrogen initiatives underway, along with 12.89 gigawatts of planned projects before they reach the construction phase, and an additional 11.5 gigawatts from recently declared projects.

Morocco has unveiled 11 planned initiatives, which include a trial project aimed at generating power through hydrogen, with an objective to produce approximately one million tons of green hydrogen by the year 2030.

According to the report, one of Morocco’s key initiatives is the Amun project, situated in the southern part of the country. This venture aims for an annual output of 900,000 tons of green hydrogen, driven by 15 gigawatts of renewable power.

Mauritania tops the list for anticipated green hydrogen production capacity using solar power within the Arab region, boasting an impressive 47 gigawatts. This positions it as the global runner-up following Australia, which holds the top spot at 63.3 gigawatts. However, even though Mauritania has significant potential, none of its projects have moved beyond the planning stage, with actual execution still pending.

In the Arab region, Oman ranks second and worldwide places third, aiming for an installed capacity of 31.93 gigawatts. In contrast to Mauritania, several initiatives in Oman have already commenced, with 451 megawatts dedicated to developing solar energy facilities and another 20.92 gigawatts currently being prepared before construction begins.

Egypt ranks fourth in the Arab world and seventh globally, with a projected 13.91 gigawatts. The country has 119 megawatts of solar projects under construction, while pre-construction projects total 8.18 gigawatts, and announced projects amount to 5.6 gigawatts.

Djibouti came in fifth place, with a projected 9.04 gigawatts, placing it tenth worldwide. Its projects remain in the pre-construction and announcement phases.

The UAE ranked sixth in the Arab world and 15th globally with 4.02 gigawatts, supported by 14 announced green and blue hydrogen projects.

In the Arab region, Saudi Arabia ranks seventh and stands at sixteenth place worldwide, boasting an installed capacity of 3.5 gigawatts, primarily fueled by the ambitious NEOM project. This initiative targets the production of 2.9 million tons of green hydrogen per year by 2030.

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Moroccan Authorities Bar Pro-Polisario Activists From Entering Laayoune

On Saturday, local officials in Laayoune barred entry to three Spanish individuals at Hassan I Airport as it became evident they had intentions of promoting the separatist movement associated with the Polisario Front, according to reports.

The people involved included attorneys María Dolores and Flora Ramos, along with politician Silvestre Manuel Suárez.

The source further mentioned that they were deported via the same flight they had used to arrive at Hassan I Airport from Las Palmas.

The source added that this choice is consistent with Morocco's strong position against using either professional or political affiliations to advance objectives that go against the country's national sovereignty.

The most recent event has occurred against the backdrop of heightened attempts by European officials and advocates to access Morocco’s Western Sahara region over the past few months, sparking worries regarding their intentions. In February, Moroccan authorities removed four Members of the European Parliament along with two assistants when they attempted to go to Laayoune without proper permission. The trip was labeled as "provocative" and seen as an effort aimed at advancing secessionism.

These developments align with an increasing diplomatic realignment in Europe, where key nations such as France and Spain have endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara. This endorsement indicates a waning sway of both the Polisario and Algeria.

These trips are seen by experts as a response to that change, intended to rejuvenate European backing for the Polisario, especially within unofficial circles.

The Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, formerly disregarded a comparable effort by European Parliament members in February, calling it a "disruptive maneuver with no effect." He stressed that every visit to Morocco needs to adhere to transparent regulatory protocols, much like they would in any other nation.

This mirrored Morocco's reaction in 2013 when it prevented European Members of Parliament from accessing the Sahara region, referencing an established regulatory structure between itself and the European Union that governs such entries.

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