The Welshman inside Morocco's rise to football powerhouse

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Morocco are currently ranked sixth in Fifa's world rankings By Ciaran Kelly Football reporter Published 2 hours ago "Morocco have the potential to be a powerhouse of world football." It is a bold statement, but Welshman Neil Ward has witnessed the country's passion and plans first hand. After serving as chief executive at the Football Association of Wales Trust, Ward left his homeland to take up a role as director of technical operations at the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) in 2020. He was in Rabat when Morocco became the first ever African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals a couple of years later. Ward saw how "it took over all the city right through until the early hours of the morning, with the king out celebrating as well". The Atlas Lions were knocked out by France, but they are now bidding to make history once more as they face Les Bleus again on Thursday (21:00 BST) for a place in the last four. Whatever happens at Boston Stadium, it does not feel like the co-hosts of the next World Cup in 2030 are finished yet. Another Briton, Simon Jennings, knows that better than most. As well as delivering the Uefa Pro Licence and A-licence as a coaching educator, he was responsible for youth development across Morocco between 2020 and 2024. "This is not an accident," he said. "It's a result of clear national ambition." History makers: the rise of Morocco Football 'These people are serious and want to be successful' Such ambition has come from the very top. There has been sustained investment in the game, which has been backed by King Mohammed VI. Significant sums have been pumped into a state-of-the-art training facility, a national academy, regional training centres, stadium redevelopments and thousands of amateur pitches. "You need those top facilities for players in Europe who are used to it," added Ward. "So when you come in and see a training facility of this calibre, it shows you these people are serious and want to be successful." Youth protesters have called for such funds to be channelled into education, healthcare, housing, transport and job creation. In response, the royal palace vowed to allocate the equivalent of £11.2bn in the 2026 budget to health and education, which represents a 16% increase year-on-year. For Ward, who worked for the RMFF between 2020 and 2024, the motivation behind the country's investment in football is clear. It is about tapping into Morocco's passion for the game and grabbing "soft power on the international stage" by proving they can compete. There has been a shift in mentality in that regard. Going into the 2022 World Cup, Morocco had only once previously reached the knockout stages of the tournament, when they progressed to the last 16 in 1998. However, before a ball was even kicked in 2022, former manager Walid Regragui made it clear to his players they were not merely travelling to Qatar to play three group games. They were going to do something b