The Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca, which has been given a facelift following a large-scale redevelopment project, reopened its doors on Saturday evening with the derby between Wydad and Raja in the 26th round of the Botola Pro D1 ‘Inwi’ football championship which ended in 1 -1 draw.
The project to redevelop this legendary stadium in the economic capital is part of a programme to upgrade stadiums in preparation for the organisation of forthcoming major sporting events, in particular the African Cup of Nations 2025.
Begun in March 2024, the works, which were completed in March 2025, consisted, according to data from the Agence nationale des équipements publics (ANEP), of replacing the 45,000 seats in this temple of national football, upgrading the press box, the public address system, video surveillance and access control.
The work also involved fitting out 4 dressing rooms and warm-up rooms, creating a mixed zone and a new central tunnel for the players, replacing the turf (hybrid, latest generation), refurbishing the athletics track, upgrading the lighting and replacing the advertising screens.
The works also involved the construction of a building to regulate and separate all the different flows, the fitting out of the new access ramp for the players’ buses, the VIP and VVIP car parks and the TV compound.
The project also involved fitting out the VIP and media lounges, building a new conference room, creating dressing rooms, upgrading the toilets, refreshment rooms and public infirmaries, as well as increasing the number of gates and access control systems.
Outside the stadium, the work consisted of repairing the pavements and green areas, upgrading the outside lighting, repairing the fencing and upgrading the annex.
Officially inaugurated in 1955, the Mohammed V Sports Complex has been the venue for some of the biggest sporting events and tournaments organised in the Kingdom, which, as a true land of sport and sportsmen and women, is increasingly asserting itself as a leader in the sporting field, not only in Africa, but also on an international scale.
Indeed, under the impetus of HM King Mohammed VI, Morocco is pursuing a highly ambitious policy to develop its sports infrastructure as part of its preparations to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
This proactive policy aims to meet the international standards required by FIFA and CAF, while consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a continental, regional and global sports hub.
To this end, Morocco is continuing to invest massively in its sports infrastructure to host large-scale international events such as the African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup.
Numerous stadiums, sports complexes and training facilities are currently being built or renovated to meet the most demanding international standards.
These include the construction of the Hassan II Stadium in Benslimane, the reconstruction of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, and the extension and upgrading of the Grand Stade de Tanger, in accordance with FIFA’s specifications.
Work is also underway to refurbish the major stadiums in Fez, Marrakech and Agadir, firstly to bring them into line with CAF’s specifications, and then, in a second phase, to bring them into line with FIFA’s specifications.
For this second phase, the studies have been completed and work will begin just after the end of the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
Finally, work is also underway to rebuild the Al Barid stadium and the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan stadium in Rabat.
