The meeting with Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football president, Fouzi Lekjaa
* This is a big step towards transforming football in Malawi by learning from one of Africa’s best-performing football nations
* Morocco is excelling in football on the continent, and there is so much we can learn from their success
Maravi Express
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) President Fleetwood Haiya has secured a deal with Morocco Football Federation to collaborate through friendly matches and capacity-building programs for referees, coaches and administrators.
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This was after a productive meeting with Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football president, Fouzi Lekjaa, who is a FIFA Council member and Morocco’s Minister Delegate for Budget.
The two are set to formalise a football development memorandum of understanding (MoU) and on his Facebook page, Haiya said: “This is a big step towards transforming football in Malawi by learning from one of Africa’s best-performing football nations.”
And on FAM’s Facebook page, Haiya is quoted as saying: “I’m very happy with the discussions we had with President Lekjaa. This partnership will significantly support our vision of transforming the game in Malawi.
“Morocco is excelling in football on the continent, and there is so much we can learn from their success.”
Morocco, hosts for the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) 2025 made history by reaching the semifinals of the FIFA World in Qatar 2022, the first African to achieve the feat as the others before only managed reached the quarterfinals.
And as hosts for the AfCON 2025, the Atlas Lions had secured their place but still gave tough opposition by finishing their group stages on a 100% record, the last results being securing emphatic wins over Gabon (5-1) and Lesotho (7-0).
They have also retained their position as the top-ranked African nation stamping their dominance on the continent even though they slipped one spot in the global rankings, moving from 13th to 14th due to Uruguay’s surge after their impressive performances.
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Hosting Africa’s flagship football fiesta will be the North African’s second edition having staged it 35 years in 1988.
They have prepared for it so well by investing in world class football infrastructure to host the glamorous event and while the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has yet to officially announce the venues, several iconic stadiums are expected to play a central role in the tournament.
These include:
* Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca — a likely centerpiece of the tournament and a historic venue that hosted the AfCON 1988 final and is expected to be a major venue once again;
Mohammed V Stadium
* Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat — another key venue, currently undergoing expansion to increase its capacity;
* Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier — set to host some of the tournament’s biggest matches, with an expanded capacity to accommodate more fans;
* Adrar Stadium, Agadir — known for its stunning location and modern facilities, also being expanded ahead of the tournament;
Marrakesh Stadium
* Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh — a popular venue with fans and likely to see significant action during the tournament; and
* Fez Stadium, Fez — a more traditional setting that will add to the diverse experiences offered to fans.
With such rich infrastructural development and focused technical experience, FAM is bound to gain a lot from the MoU that will be formalised.
Meanwhile, Haiya also reports that during his visit to Morocco, he had the privilege of meeting Malawi’s Chargé d’Affaires to the Kingdom of Morocco Kennedy Lweya in which they also discussed strengthening ties between the two country’s nations, “with football as a uniting platform for greater collaboration”.
With Kennedy Lweya