Morocco succeeded in graduating a new generation that was the core of the national team Atlas black In the 2018 World Cup in Russia, before achieving a historic achievement and reaching the semi-final match in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The Mohammed VI Academy was established in 2007 to accommodate 60 students between the ages of 12 to 18 years, at a cost of $16.8 million, as it contained 3 educational levels, a residential complex for students, restaurants and entertainment venues.
FIFA praised the academy, describing it as “the jewel of Moroccan football and one of the largest and most successful sports centers in the world”, which extends over an area of 30 hectares.
and post fifa A report months before the start of the World Cup, praising Morocco’s steps to discover and develop talent.
Academy stars
Among the stars of the academy is striker Youssef Al-NusairiMidfielder Ezzedine Onahi, and defender Nayef Akrad.
Al-Nusairi, who joined the academy in 2011, scored a goal Morocco Against Portugal, who gave his country the pass to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in the history of Arab and African teams.
Al-Nusairi scored two goals Qatar World CupIn addition to a goal against Spain in the 2018 World Cup, they made him the top Arab scorer in the World Cup, alongside Salem Al-Dosari, Sami Al-Jaber, and Wahbi Al-Khazri.
Among the graduates of the academy was the French player Ezzedine Onahi, who joined the academy in 2015, and who succeeded in catching the attention of Louis. Enrique The coach of the Spanish national team, who praised his performance after the confrontation between Spain and Morocco, during which the Arab team succeeded in crossing thanks to penalty kicks.
Nayef Akrad, the English defender of West Ham, is also a graduate of the Mohammed VI Academy, who joined it in 2011, and who played during his career in the Moroccan Al-Fateh Al-Rabati clubs, then the French Rennes, and from there to Premier League.
And he succeeded Moroccan national team In qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, where a confrontation awaits him against the winner from England and France.
The Moroccan national team topped its group, which included Croatia, which faces Argentina in the semi-finals, and Belgium, ranked second in the world before the World Cup, in addition to Canada, before overcoming Spain on penalties in the round of 16, and eliminating Portugal With a clean goal in the quarter-finals.
