Morocco is preparing to host three major international competitions in 2025: the U17 CAN from March 30, the Women’s CAN from July 5 and the U17 Women’s World Cup from October 17.
These sporting events, although different in their nature and target audiences, represent a historic opportunity for the Kingdom to demonstrate not only its organizational capabilities, but also the efficiency and modernity of its media channels.
The media coverage of these competitions plays a central role not only in ensuring their local and international success, but also in preparing the ground for the men’s CAN scheduled from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, an event of an even larger scale which will attract a global audience.
In this context, the challenge for Moroccan media is threefold: ensuring professional and immersive coverage, diversifying broadcast platforms to reach a large and multigenerational audience, and strengthening Morocco’s influence as a sports and media hub in Africa.
The first priority lies in the quality of traditional media coverage, mainly provided by the Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision (SNRT). As a leading public broadcaster, SNRT bears the major responsibility for offering an optimal visual and narrative experience. This involves high definition broadcasts, dynamic production with strategically positioned cameras to offer total immersion to viewers, and diversification of the content offered.
Regular reports on the preparation of the U17 and women’s national teams, cross-interviews with the players, coaches and technical staff, as well as special broadcasts around the issues of each match, would make it possible to broaden the audience and in-depth the engagement of the Moroccan public. In addition, the creation of content ahead of competitions, such as mini-documentaries on the journeys of young talents or the specific challenges encountered by women’s football, would strengthen the interest and attachment of supporters to these competitions.
At the same time, the diversification of broadcast channels is an essential necessity to adapt to new media consumption habits. Digital platforms such as YouTube and TikTok play a central role today, especially among younger generations. These tools allow rapid, interactive and viral broadcasting of key moments of competitions: match summaries, best goals, exclusive interviews, or behind the scenes of preparations and matches.
A well-thought-out digital strategy would thus make it possible to extend the audience beyond Moroccan borders and capture the attention of a global public, while reinforcing the modern and dynamic image of Moroccan football. Furthermore, these platforms offer valuable flexibility for sharing short and engaging content, perfectly adapted to the expectations of young Moroccan and international users.
Active involvement of social media also helps create an emotional connection with supporters. For example, initiatives such as interactive votes for the player of the match, live question-and-answer sessions with players, or TikTok challenges around match highlights, help build an engaged community around these competitions. This model has already proven its effectiveness in other international sporting events, and its application to Moroccan competitions could generate real popular enthusiasm.
The U17 CAN, the Women’s CAN and the U17 Women’s World Cup thus represent an excellent opportunity for Moroccan media professionals to acquire valuable experience and test their abilities before the big deadline of the Men’s CAN in 2025.
From a strategic point of view, these competitions are not just sporting events; they also constitute powerful levers of sports diplomacy and nation branding. By offering exemplary media coverage, Morocco can consolidate its image as a nation capable of organizing world-class sporting events and ensuring professional media broadcasting. This positive image directly contributes to attracting foreign investors, strengthening international partnerships and promoting sports tourism, a booming sector.
The successful media coverage of these three competitions would also allow Morocco to position itself as an African leader in the management of major sporting events, with significant economic and diplomatic benefits.
Another major issue is the need to mobilize the entire Moroccan society around these events. Media coverage should not be limited to purely sporting aspects, but include cultural, social and economic dimensions. For example, reports highlighting the local economic benefits, the inspiring stories of young players, or the social initiatives linked to these competitions, can help raise awareness among the Moroccan public of the importance of these events beyond the sports environment.
Finally, the media legacy of these competitions must not be neglected. Once the events are over, the audiovisual archives, the content produced and the experiences accumulated by Moroccan media professionals must be capitalized to serve as a reference during future events.
A dedicated digital platform bringing together the best moments, analyzes and exclusive content from competitions could not only serve as a promotional tool for Morocco, but also as an inspiration for future generations of journalists and technicians.
The media coverage of the U17 CAN, the Women’s CAN and the U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco in 2025 is much more than simple sports coverage. It constitutes a real strategic project which touches on economic, diplomatic, cultural and social issues. To succeed in this challenge, the Moroccan media, and particularly the SNRT, must meet several challenges: guarantee immersive and qualitative coverage, diversify the broadcast channels to reach all generations, promote the human and cultural dimensions of these competitions, and prepare effectively their teams to international standards.
These joint efforts will not only maximize the media impact of these events, but also position Morocco as an essential reference in the field of sport and communication in Africa.
*Secretary general and associated researcher at NejMaroc: Moroccan Center for Research on Globalization
