Rabat – Moroccan Minister of Youth and Sports Othman El Ferdaous declared today in Rabat that the official resumption of the Moroccan Football League (Botola) will take place at the end of July, without providing a precise date.
El Ferdaous also announced that resumed training sessions for Moroccan football teams will kick off next week.
The administrative office of Moroccan Royal Football Federation (FRMF) held a virtual meeting today with the professional clubs of the first and second national grades of Botola, as well as amateur clubs both for both men and women football, according to FRMF.
On March 14, after Morocco announced its 17th confirmed COVID-19 case, FRMF decided to postpone all football matches in the country until further notice.
Several football leagues across the world have resumed activity, including Germany (May 16) and Spain (June 11).
The resumption of Botola is part of Morocco’s gradual ease of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, carefully bringing about a return to normal life.
The country saw the reopening of businesses such as restaurants this week in most provinces and prefectures. Public transportation between cities and flights on major domestic air routes will resume on June 25.
As football slowly resumes worldwide, the Moroccan national team remains in the 43rd grade, where it has been since November 28, 2019, according to FIFA’s world rankings published on June 11. The Atlas Lions rank fifth in Africa, preceded by Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria, and Algeria.
Morocco’s national team was set to play its next match against the Central African Republic on March 27, but this was postponed due to the pandemic. The match, when rescheduled, would be part of the third game of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.