Morocco men's national basketball team

The Morocco national basketball team represents Morocco in international basketball competitions. The team is governed by the Moroccan Royal Basketball Federation, also known as the FRMBB. The team has appeared at the FIBA AfroBasket 20 times and has won the gold medal in the 1965 tournament. In 1968, Morocco finished as runners-up.

Morocco

Joined FIBA	1936
FIBA zone	FIBA Africa
National federation	Moroccan Royal Basketball Federation
Coach	Gustavo Aranza Mendez
Nickname(s)	Atlas Lions
Olympic Games
Appearances	1
Medals	None
FIBA World Cup
Appearances	0
AfroBasket
Appearances	20
Medals	Gold: (1965) Silver: (1964, 1968) Bronze: (1962, 1980)
AfroCan
Appearances	2
Medals	Gold: (2023)
Home Away

The team made the Olympics once, in 1968, but went 0-9 in those games, holding the ignominous distinction of playing the most Olympic basketball games without winning any.

History

On the first edition of AfroCan, Morocco was placed 4th after losing the bronze medal to Angola.^[1]

On 16 July 2023, Morocco won the 2023 FIBA AfroCan Final after beating Cote d'Ivoire 78-76 that took place in Luanda, Angola.^[2][3] King Mohammed VI congratulated the team for their achievement on claiming the second continental title for the national team.^[4][5]

Tournament record

Olympic Games

Main article: Basketball at the Summer Olympics

Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L
1936	Not an IOC Member
1948
1952
1956	Did not qualify
1960
1964
1968	16th place	16th	9	0	9
1972	Did not qualify
1976
1980
1984
1984
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
2028	To be determined
2032
Total	1/23		9	0	9

FIBA Basketball World Cup

Main article: FIBA Basketball World Cup

Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L
1950	Did not qualify
1954
1959
1963
1967
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2019
// 2023
2027
Total	0/20		9	0	9

FIBA AfroBasket

Main article: FIBA AfroBasket

  Champions     Runners-up     Third place     Fourth place  

Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L
1962	Third place	3rd	4	2	2
1964	Runners-up	2nd	5	4	1
1965	Champions	1st	4	4	0
1968	Runners-up	2nd	6	5	1
1970	Did not qualify
1972	7th place	7th	6	3	3
1974	Did not qualify
1975
1978	5th place	5th	5	3	2
1980	Third place	3rd	6	4	2
1981	Did not qualify
1983
1985
1987
1989	5th place	9th	6	2	4
1992	5th place	9th	5	1	4
1993	Did not qualify
1995	6th place	6th	5	2	3
1997	Did not qualify
1999	11th place	11th	6	1	5
2001	6th place	6th	6	4	2
2003	8th place	8th	6	2	4
2005	6th place	6th	8	3	5
2007	10th place	10th	6	3	3
2009	10th place	12th	8	3	5
2011	8th place	8th	7	2	5
2013	8th place	8th	7	3	4
2015	13th place	13th	5	1	4
/ 2017	4th place	4th	6	4	2
2021	Did not qualify
2025
Total	20/31		117	56	61

FIBA AfroCan

Main article: FIBA AfroCan

  Champions     Fourth place  

Year	Round	Position	GP	W	L
2019	4th place	4th	6	3	3
2023	Champions	1st	6	5	1
Total	2/2		12	8	4

Mediterranean Games

• 2005 Almería: 8th

Team

Current roster

Morocco men's national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. SF 3 Ayoub Nouhi 25 – (1999-01-07)7 January 1999 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) FUS Rabat PG 5 Yassine El Mahsini 30 – (1993-10-26)26 October 1993 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) AS Salé G 8 Soufiane Benhmine 31 – (1992-04-08)8 April 1992 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) FUS Rabat 9 Mohamed Bnichou 25 – (1998-03-13)13 March 1998 G 10 Kevin Franceschi 30 – (1993-10-05)5 October 1993 AS FAR PF 11 Abdelhakim Zouita 37 – (1986-08-12)12 August 1986 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) FUS Rabat F 12 Ilias Aqboub 22 – (2002-01-25)25 January 2002 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) AS Salé SF 15 Karim Gourari 34 – (1989-05-26)26 May 1989 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) Rouen Métropole Basket C 23 Khalid Boukichou 31 – (1992-09-17)17 September 1992 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) AS Salé PF 32 Badreddine Azouga 29 – (1995-02-07)7 February 1995 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) FUS Rabat PF 33 Mohamed Choua 31 – (1992-12-25)25 December 1992 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) Rouen Métropole Basket SG 55 Jihad Benchlikha 33 – (1991-01-06)6 January 1991 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) AS FAR	Head coach Gustavo Aranzana Assistant coach(es) Mohamed Nizar Mesbahi

Head coach position

• Moncho Monsalve – 2001
• Jean-Paul Rabatet
• Sterling Wright – 2003
• Hassan Hachad – 2011–2013^[6]
• Said El Bouzidi – 2017^[7]
• Labib El Hamrani – 2023–2024
• Gustavo Aranza Mendez – 2024

Past rosters

Team for the 2013 FIBA Africa Championship.

Morocco men's national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club F 4 Reda Ali Harras 19 – (1993-11-24)24 November 1993 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) C 5 Reda Rhalimi 31 – (1982-02-02)2 February 1982 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) AS Salé F 6 Abderrahim Najah 28 – (1984-11-20)20 November 1984 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) AS Salé F 7 Zakaria El Masbahi 34 – (1979-03-29)29 March 1979 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) AS Salé G 8 Mustapha Khalfi 33 – (1980-01-01)1 January 1980 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) Chabab Rif Al Hoceima C 9 Mohamed Hjira 32 – (1981-01-19)19 January 1981 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) Chabab Rif Al Hoceima F/C 10 Youssef Zangui 32 – (1981-07-12)12 July 1981 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) F 11 Abdelhakim Zouita 27 – (1986-08-12)12 August 1986 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) AS Salé G 12 Soufiane Nadim 25 – (1988-03-02)2 March 1988 FUS de Rabat C 13 Soufiane Kourodu 28 – (1985-05-21)21 May 1985 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) AS Salé 14 Abdelali Lahrichi 20 – (1993-07-19)19 July 1993 F/C 15 Younes Idrissi 29 – (1984-04-13)13 April 1984 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) AS Salé	Head coach Hassan Hachad Legend Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 20 August 2013

At the AfroBasket 2015:^[8]

Morocco men's national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. 4 Reda Ali Harras 21 – (1993-11-24)24 November 1993 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 6 Soufiane Kourodu 30 – (1985-05-21)21 May 1985 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) 7 Zakaria El Masbahi 36 – (1979-03-29)29 March 1979 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) AS Salé 7 Abdelali Lahrichi 22 – (1993-07-19)19 July 1993 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 8 Mustapha Khalifi 35 – (1980-01-01)1 January 1980 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) 9 Omar Laanani 28 – (1987-03-26)26 March 1987 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 10 Mohamed Choua 22 – (1992-12-25)25 December 1992 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 11 Abdelhakim Zouita 29 – (1986-08-12)12 August 1986 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) 13 Adil El Makssoud 30 – (1984-12-12)12 December 1984 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 14 Kamal Hachad 32 – (1983-07-22)22 July 1983 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 15 Abderrahim Najah 30 – (1984-11-20)20 November 1984 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) Mohamed Aboussalam 18 – (1996-08-20)20 August 1996	Head coach Jad Fattouh Assistant coach(es) Anton Vujanic Abdelaziz Quarouach Legend Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 19 August 2015

At the AfroBasket 2017:

Morocco men's national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. F/C 4 Abderrahim Najah 32 – (1984-11-20)20 November 1984 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) AS Salé PG 5 Mustapha Khalfi 37 – (1980-01-01)1 January 1980 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) AS Salé C 6 Soufiane Kourdou 32 – (1985-05-21)21 May 1985 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) AS Salé G/F 7 Zakaria El Masbahi 38 – (1979-03-29)29 March 1979 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) AS Salé SG 8 Abdelali Lahraichi 24 – (1993-07-19)19 July 1993 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) Wydad AC C 9 Mohamed Aboussalam 21 – (1996-08-20)20 August 1996 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) Rouen Métropole Basket F/C 10 Mohamed Choua 24 – (1992-12-25)25 December 1992 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) AS Salé PG 11 Jihad Benchlikha 25 – (1992-01-06)6 January 1992 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) ASFAR F/C 12 John Wilkins 28 – (1989-07-13)13 July 1989 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) Chabab Rif Al Hoceima G/F 13 Adil El Makssoud 31 – (1985-12-12)12 December 1985 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Chabab Rif Al Hoceima PG 14 Nadim Soufiane 29 – (1988-05-02)2 May 1988 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) C 15 Reda Rhalimi 35 – (1982-02-02)2 February 1982 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) Chabab Rif Al Hoceima	Head coach Said El Bouzidi Assistant coach(es) Hamrani Labib Legend Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 8 September 2017

Head coaches

• Naoufal Uariachi
• Said El Bouzidi
• Labib El Hamrani (June 2021–present)^[9]

Honours

AfroBasket

• Champions (1): 1965

Runner-up: 1964, 1968

Third place: 1962, 1980

AfroCan

• Champions (1): 2023

Pan Arab Games

Third place: 1961

Arab Basketball Championship

Runner-up: 2005, 2017

Third place: 2000, 2009, 2010

References

1. "Democratic Republic of Congo claim FIBA AfroCan 2019 title". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
2. "Morocco win the 2023 FIBA AfroCan". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
3. "منتخب المغرب يظفر ببطولة إفريقيا لكرة السلة". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 16 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
4. Zouiten, Sara. "King Mohammed VI Congratulates Moroccan Basketball Team on AfroCan Victory". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
5. "الملك يهنئ "الأسود المحلية" لكرة السلة". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 18 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
6. Head coaches, fiba.com, accessed 8 May 2013.
7. Morocco preliminary squad announced for FIBA AfroBasket 2017 Qualifiers, fiba.com, 7 March 2017. Accessed 7 March 2017.
8. Morocco | 2015 Afrobasket, ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
9. "Morocco bring new head coach in last bid for AfroBasket qualification". FIBA.basketball. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2022.

See also

• Morocco men's national under-18 basketball team

External links

• Official website
• FIBA Profile