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[ad_1] Rabat — Head coach for Morocco’s women’s football team Jorge Vilda has acknowledged how the unexplained referee decision to cancel a legitimate penalty shoot for the Atlas Lionesses caused a major blow for his squad in the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Saturday. Last night, the Moroccan squad was on the brink of winning the final match against Nigeria. But instead, the Atlas Lionesses were deprived of a penalty that the referee and the VAR room both claimed illegitimate. Despite footage showing a Nigerian player clearing and handling the ball in the penalty box,…

[ad_1] Marrakech – A French business owner received a shocking phone bill of €37,737 following a one-week vacation in Morocco. The 63-year-old bar and tobacco shop owner from Maule, in the Yvelines region of France, is now fighting the charge from telecom giant Orange. According to French news outlet Le Parisien, Dominique, who owns a bar-tabac in Maule, spent a week in Marrakech from April 28 to May 5 this year. Upon his return, he discovered that Orange had charged him over €37,000 for mobile data usage during his stay. The businessman claims he barely used his phone during the…

[ad_1] Marrakech – In a heartbreaking turn of events at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, host nation Morocco saw their dreams of a first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title slip away in the final minutes as Nigeria secured a dramatic 3-2 victory on Saturday. The Atlas Lionesses had put themselves in a commanding position with a brilliant first-half display, taking a deserved 2-0 lead through goals from captain Ghizlane Chebbak and Sanaâ Mssoudy. However, the nine-time champions Nigeria mounted a remarkable comeback in the second half to claim their tenth continental crown. Morocco started the match with intensity…

[ad_1] Marrakech – Morocco’s women’s national football team received a message of congratulations from King Mohammed VI following their performance at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where they reached the final before suffering a 3-2 defeat to Nigeria. In his message, the sovereign expressed that he followed “with great pride” the national team’s brilliant journey in the 2024 WAFCON, which culminated in a place in the final of this continental championship. He noted that Morocco hosted the tournament “with warm hospitality and excellent organization, worthy of the Kingdom and its guests.” The king praised the “exemplary competitive…

[ad_1] Morocco’s fuel distribution sector experienced contrasting margin trends during the first quarter of 2025, with diesel and gasoline gross margins following distinct patterns across two phases, according to the Competition Council’s latest report. The quarterly evolution revealed an initial growth phase from January through mid-February, followed by a decline lasting until end of March. During the growth period, diesel margins increased from 1.3 dirhams per liter to 1.46 dirhams, while gasoline margins rose from 1.95 to 2.11 dirhams per liter. The subsequent decline phase saw more pronounced adjustments. Diesel margins dropped 60 centimes to 0.86 dirhams per liter, representing…

[ad_1] FIFA has inaugurated a new regional office in Rabat to oversee football development across North and West Africa. The facility, located near the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, will serve as a technical and strategic hub for the continent. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, CAF President Patrice Motsepe, and Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaa attended the official opening. “Naturally, this is an important, fundamental, and historic day in the journey of national football — an exceptional path led by His Majesty King Mohammed VI for more than 26 years,” said Lekjaa. “It once again reflects the…

[ad_1] Morocco continues to push forward its ambitious social protection reform, placing inclusive welfare systems at the core of the country’s development strategy and as a pillar of national solidarity. In implementation of Royal directives, the Moroccan government has accelerated the rollout of a comprehensive social protection program, whose rollout kicked off in April 2021. This program includes mandatory health insurance, direct financial aid to vulnerable households, and the extension of pension coverage to self-employed workers and informal sector participants. As of May 2025, the program has reached 3.9 million households, with 2 billion dirhams disbursed in direct support The…

[ad_1] Rabat — Morocco’s central bank, Bank Al Maghrib (BAM), has reported that non-performing loans at the country’s banks fell 2.7% to MAD 97.4 billion ($ 10.86 billion) in 2024.  According to the central bank’s latest annual banking supervision report, this level represents a loss rate of 8.4%, indicating an improvement of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year. The analysis by risk level reveals varying trends across different loan categories. Banks classified 6.5 billion dirhams in loans as “under surveillance,” marking a 4.1% increase from 2023. Meanwhile, doubtful debts decreased by 1.7% to MAD 8.7 billion ($970.136 million).…

[ad_1] The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA – Africa branch), inaugurated this Saturday in Rabat its first regional headquarters in Africa, in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, President of the Confederation of African Football Patrice Motsepe, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) Fouzi Lekjaa, along with several senior sports officials from Africa and beyond. The inauguration comes in implementation of an agreement signed on December 16, 2024, in Marrakech between FIFA, the Moroccan government, and the FRMF, as part of a strategic plan aimed at supporting and developing African football by strengthening institutional infrastructure and…

[ad_1] Rabat – Morocco’s sweeping social protection reform has positioned the country on a transformative path toward a more inclusive and equitable welfare system, according to Hassan Boubrik, Director General of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).  In an exclusive interview with MAP, Boubrik praised the initiative as a “historic leap” in achieving the vision of King Mohammed VI to build a robust social state. “The generalization of Compulsory Health Insurance (AMO) has allowed millions of Moroccans—regardless of their status—to access healthcare services with dignity and fairness,” Boubrik said. Prior to the reform launched in 2021, only 40% of Moroccans…