Latest news with #CAN2024
Ya Biladi
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Atlas Lionesses ready to face Ghana in WAFCON semi-final in Rabat
On Monday in Rabat, Jorge Vilda, the coach of Morocco's women's national football team, expressed confidence that his squad is fully motivated to defeat Ghana in the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2024), currently being held on Moroccan soil. The Atlas Lionesses are poised to deliver a stellar performance against Ghana, aiming to secure their place in the final, Vilda stated during a pre-match press conference at Rabat's Olympic Stadium, the venue for Tuesday's semi-final (8:00 PM). «As the tournament has progressed, the players have learned to manage the pressure and channel it into positive energy», he remarked, emphasizing that mental fortitude is the team's greatest strength. Vilda highlighted that the Moroccan team, which has been preparing intensively for two months, plans to capitalize on the support of the home crowd and the familiarity of the pitch to reach the final. «The players have exerted tremendous effort during the group stage, particularly against physically strong opponents», he acknowledged, while noting that Ghana is a formidable team with a fast-paced and cohesive style of play. Meanwhile, Moroccan player Ibtissam Jraidi noted that the match against Ghana will be fiercely contested, assuring that «the players are fully aware of the responsibility they bear». Jraidi, who was named the best player in the quarter-final victory over Mali (3-1), added, «Individual accolades are secondary; our main goal is to help the team win and advance to the final». On the other side, Ghana's coach, Kim Bjorkegren, described the match against Morocco as the toughest challenge for his team in this CAN, adding that his players face the added difficulty of overcoming fatigue from their quarter-final clash with Algeria. «We will fight for our chances, even though it will be tough against the Moroccans. We have studied their style and hope to come out on top», he stated. In the other semi-final, Nigeria will take on South Africa on Tuesday at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca (5:00 PM).
Ya Biladi
3 days ago
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Morocco to face Ghana in WAFCON semi-finals
Ghana has joined Morocco in the semi-finals of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2024) after a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Algeria, clinching the win 4-2 following a goalless draw that extended into extra time. The quarter-final clash took place on Saturday in Berkane. The highly anticipated Morocco-Ghana semi-final is scheduled for next Tuesday at the Rabat Olympic Stadium, kicking off at 8:00 PM (GMT+1). Morocco advanced to the semi-finals after a decisive 3-1 victory against Mali on Friday at the same venue. Earlier this evening in Oujda, the final quarter-final match unfolded with South Africa taking on Senegal, where the Banyana Banyana emerged victorious, eliminating Senegal from the tournament.
Ya Biladi
6 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco's foreign minister condemns exclusion of Sahara from maps as attack on territorial integrity
Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita has condemned the publication of maps of Morocco that exclude the Sahara, calling it «an attack on our territorial integrity and on the diplomatic and international progress made regarding the Moroccan Sahara». His remarks were made in response to a written question submitted by Naima El Fathaoui, a member of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), addressing this sensitive issue. Bourita explained that, «given the importance of this matter and its implications», the Ministry has adopted «a strategy based on vigilance and strict monitoring of how Morocco's map is displayed on various websites, along with swift action to correct any inaccuracies». This approach also includes «a proactive component that involves monitoring the organization of international forums to ensure the full map of the Kingdom is displayed». The minister emphasized that «Moroccan embassies and consulates abroad are constantly monitoring all official publications and websites in the countries where they are accredited». Whenever a truncated map of Morocco is spotted, «they immediately contact the relevant authorities to demand corrections». These efforts have yielded results. «Many institutions and websites that initially published incomplete maps of Morocco have since apologized to Moroccan authorities», Bourita noted. He also pointed out that «in many cases, websites are managed by private companies unaware of the political context surrounding the Moroccan Sahara issue. Often, the same countries where these errors occur have reaffirmed their strong support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara». Bourita reaffirmed his ministry's commitment to «countering malicious disinformation campaigns led by the enemies of our territorial integrity». Meanwhile, Algeria has been actively campaigning against the inclusion of the Sahara in maps of Morocco since February 2021. Notably, the opening ceremony of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2024), hosted by Morocco, featured a map of the Kingdom that excluded the Sahara.
Ya Biladi
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
CAF President Motsepe praises Morocco's role in hosting landmark Women's CAN 2024
The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, emphasized on Saturday in Salé that the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2024), currently taking place in Morocco, will be the most memorable edition of the tournament to date. «This edition will undoubtedly be the most successful and memorable of all. I express my deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, as well as to the Moroccan people for their unwavering support for the development of African football», Motsepe stated during a press conference at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maâmora, a suburb of Salé, following a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee. After thanking the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) for hosting the committee's proceedings, the South African official praised the participation of African clubs in the Club World Cup, namely Wydad Casablanca, Espérance de Tunis, Egypt's Al Ahly, and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns. Motsepe expressed hope that African teams will advance even further in future editions of the Club World Cup. He also highlighted Morocco's historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals. «Africa is proud of Morocco's performance», he said. «I am confident that an African team will be crowned World Champion in the future», he added, also predicting that Morocco will host the best-ever edition of the men's Africa Cup of Nations in 2025. The CAF Executive Committee meeting was held on the sidelines of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from July 5 to 26 in Morocco.
Ya Biladi
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
CAF President Motsepe praises Morocco's role in hosting landmark Women's CAN 2024
The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, emphasized on Saturday in Salé that the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2024), currently taking place in Morocco, will be the most memorable edition of the tournament to date. «This edition will undoubtedly be the most successful and memorable of all. I express my deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, as well as to the Moroccan people for their unwavering support for the development of African football», Motsepe stated during a press conference at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maâmora, a suburb of Salé, following a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee. After thanking the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) for hosting the committee's proceedings, the South African official praised the participation of African clubs in the Club World Cup, namely Wydad Casablanca, Espérance de Tunis, Egypt's Al Ahly, and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns. Motsepe expressed hope that African teams will advance even further in future editions of the Club World Cup. He also highlighted Morocco's historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals. «Africa is proud of Morocco's performance», he said. «I am confident that an African team will be crowned World Champion in the future», he added, also predicting that Morocco will host the best-ever edition of the men's Africa Cup of Nations in 2025. The CAF Executive Committee meeting was held on the sidelines of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from July 5 to 26 in Morocco.
