Wikipedia

Raja CA Under-21s and Academy

Raja CA Under-21s and Academy are the youth teams of Raja CA. The U21 team (or reserve team) mainly consists of Under-21 players and some senior players that occasionally join them, for instance when they are recovering from injury. The Academy refers to the other development teams below under-21, that complete Raja's youth system: Juniors "A" and "B"; Cadets "A", "B" and ''C''; Minimes "A", "B" and "C".

Raja CA Under-21s & Academy
Entry gate of the Oasis Complex
Full nameRaja Club Athletic Under-21s & Academy
Nickname(s)Green Eagles
الرجاء العالمي (Worldwide Raja)
نادي الشعب (The People's Club)
الخضرة الوطنية (The National Green)
Founded20 March 1949; 75 years ago (1949-03-20)
GroundStade Mohammed V
Raja CA Academy
Raja-Oasis Sports Complex
Current season

Raja CA is considered to have the best football academy in Morocco, the first team has historically relied heavily on academy players and its youth teams are generally very competitive in the different leagues that they compete in at the regional, inter-regional and national levels.[1][2][3] It has produced many successful players such as Houmane Jarir, Saïd Ghandi, Petchou, Abdelmajid Dolmy, Mustapha El Haddaoui, Redouane Hajry, Mustapha Khalif, Mustapha Moustawdae, Salaheddine Bassir, Omar Nejjary, Abdelilah Fahmi, Talal El Karkouri, Marouane Zemmama, Amin Erbati, Hicham Aboucherouane, Mouhcine Iajour, Mohsine Moutaouali, Abdelilah Hafidi, Badr Benoun and Soufiane Rahimi, among many others.

The youth teams play their home games at Oasis Sports Complex or at the Raja CA Academy. Up until 2011, the U-21 team sometimes played the Derby against Wydad AC in Stade Mohammed-V before the first team Derby kick-off.[4]

Academy

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Raja's academy in the Oasis Sports Complex was one of the first football centres to comply with international standards in Africa, and the first to adopt the "sport-study" system that combine both football and education in Morocco.[5][6] In 2021, it was chosen by the technical direction of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation as the best player development center.[5][6]

The club's development strategies have long been run by Abdelkader Jalal [fr], a former Raja player and its main head of player development between 1950 and 1989, retiring only after an accident that occurred in 23 May and cost him his left hand.[7] After the opening of the development centre in 1999, the management was given to experienced coaches who were also former Raja players like Fathi Jamal, Mhamed Fakhir and Mohamed Madih. Raja was the first Moroccan club to offer to its young players a sporting and educational program that was provided by the OFPPT [fr]. The first generation consisted of 26 selected players, aged between 16 and 17 with the exception of goalscorer Tarik Bendamou and the goalkeeper Yassine El Had who are respectively 13 and 14 years old.[8] In general, the club relies on its former players to coach youth teams to conserve the club's football style. [9]

CL titles Academy-graduates winners
1989 Mustapha Khalif, Abderrahim Hamraoui, Mustapha Moustawdae, Abdeljalil Bouchari, Tijani El Maâtaoui, Mustapha El Gherchi
Hassan Mouahid, Khalid Moussalek, Mustapha Soueib, Abdelghani Zerraf, Mohamed Madih, Abdelhak Souadi, Rachid Jebrane (13)
1997 Abdelilah Fahmi, Omar Nejjary, Mustapha Khalif, Mustapha Moustawdae, Redouane El Haimer, Rimy Zitouni
Hafid Abdessadek, Talal El Karkouri (8)
1999 Omar Nejjary, Mustapha Khalif, Mustapha Moustawdae, Hamid Nater, Zakaria Aboub, Redouane El Haimer, Talal El Karkouri
Zekmous, Mohamed Armoumen, Nabil Mesloub, Hicham Misbah, Adil Serraj, Hafid Abdessadek, Mohamed Kharbouch (14)

In September 2022, Raja CA Academy finally opened its doors after a year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the first team facilities, it houses the club's academy structure that offers to its young footballers, in association with the Oasis Complex, accommodation, education and a high-level football development. The facilities were built for the first team and the youth teams competing in their respective championships (U17, U19, U21). The younger teams are trained in Oasis. The academy is equipped with a natural grass pitch, a new generation synthetic turf and four mini-football. The sports center has also a gym, a rehabilitation room, a medical center and a restaurant.

Raja CA's youth teams are generally dominant in their national championships like in the 2014–15 season, when both U17 and U19 teams won th national league. Since 2019, the U21 team no longer compete with their peers since their promotion to senior football at the D5 Championship. They finished second twice in a row, in 2019-20 and 2020–21 and came close to promotion to D4 under the management of Bouchaib El Moubarki.[10][11]

In November 2023, club's president Mohamed Boudrika stated that the Academy, apart from the first teams, host twelve football teams, three futsal teams and three women teams.

 
Raja-Oasis Sports Complex

U-21s team

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Due to the high number of players in the Academy, each age category have two or three teams (for example: Juniors A, Juniors B...) that compete in regional or inter-regional competitions, in addition to the main teams that respectively play in the U-15, U-17 and U-19 national leagues.[12] After their promotion to senior football in 2019, the U-21 category has one single team that directly give players to the first team.

Current squad

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As of 28 September 2023

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK   MAR Yassine Zoubir
— GK   MAR Hatim Siouah
— GK   MAR Nabil Douah
— GK   MAR Adam Alami
— DF   MAR Mehdi Mchakhchekh (Vice-Captain)
— DF   MAR Saad Chamach
— DF   SEN Ibrahima
— DF   MAR Abdellah Azrour
— DF   MAR Mohamed Youssef Gaidi
— DF   MAR Karim Achqar
— DF   MAR Adham Al Khalfi (Captain)
— MF   MAR Yassine Oumast
— MF   MAR Anouar Aalam
— MF   MAR Saad Essamouani
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF   GUI Ahmadou Camara
— MF   MAR Brahim Bensaber
— MF   MAR Youness Barti
— MF   MAR Ziad Nejjary
— FW   MAR Houssam Djellal
— FW   MAR Akram El Khouidssi
— FW   MAR Yasser Zahli
— FW   MLI Idrissa
— FW   MAR Hamza Moustawdae
— FW   MAR Amine Essabah
— FW   MAR Youssef Hafidi
— FW   MAR Mansour Nachet
— FW   MAR Reda Smaili

Season by season

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In 19 May 2019, Raja played the U-21 national league play-offs final and gained promotion for the first time to a senior league, which is Amateurs 3 (North West Group), the fifth level of Moroccan football, despite losing to Kawkab Marrakech on penalties after a 0–0 draw.[13]

Season Competition Position Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD Ref.
2019–20 Amateurs 3 (North West) [fr] 2 54 30 16 6 8 47 34 +13 [14]
2020–21 Amateurs 3 (North West) 2 55 30 17 4 9 43 29 +14 [15]
2021–22 Amateurs 3 (North West) 3 55 30 16 7 7 58 27 +31 [16]
2022–23 Amateurs 3 (North West) 2 58 30 17 7 6 61 24 +37 [17]
2023–24 Amateurs 3 (North West) 5 43 30 12 7 11 37 37 +0 [18]

Manager history

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Management team

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As of 5 October 2024
Sporting director   Mohamed Madih[30]
Technical director   Hicham Aboucherouane
Head of Player Development   Jean-Marc Nobilo
Under-21s head coach
Under-18s head coach   Rachid Soulaimani
Under-17s head coach   Mohamed Armoumen
Under-16s head coach   Hamid Nater
Under-15s head coach   Mustapha Khalif
Under-14s head coach   Adil Bekkari
Under-13s head coach   Mustapha Moustawdae

International youth graduates

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This is a list of former Raja CA youth graduates who have gone on to represent their country at full senior international level.

As of 13 October 2023
Player Years played in the Academy Years played for first team National team Years played for national team Notes Ref.
Mohamed Choukri Roudani 1950–1951 1951–1964   Morocco 1957–1960 He was part of Morocco's first national team at the 1957 Arab Games [31]
Moussa Hanoun [fr] 1951–1953 1953–1963
1964–1966 		  Morocco 1963–1964 [32]
Hamid Bahij [fr] 1951–1954 1954–1964
1966–1967 		  Morocco 1959–1966 Winner of 1961 Arab Games and played the 1964 Olympics [33]
Mohamed Bhaïja [fr] 1952–1956 1956–1971   Morocco 1960–1966 [34]
Mustapha Fahim Milazzo 1954–1956 1956–1967   Morocco 1959–1964 [35]
Ali Bendayan Aliouate 1954–1962 1962–1975   Morocco 1963–1967 [36]
Houmane Jarir 1955–1962 1962–1977   Morocco 1966–1970 He scored Morocco's first-ever World Cup goal [37]
Saïd Ghandi 1955–1964 1964–1979   Morocco 1966–1974 [38]
Abdallah Zhar [fr] 1953–1956 1965–1966   Morocco 1960–1966 [39]
Mohamed Abdelalim Bénini 1959–1965 1965–1977   Morocco 1965–1966 [40]
Mohamed Maaroufi 1960–1965 1965–1966   Morocco 1967–1974 [41]
Mustapha Choukri 1956–1966 1966–1975   Morocco 1970–1979 [42]
Abdelhak Fethi 1965–1971 1971–1986   Morocco 1977–1980 [43]
Abdelmajid Hadry 1966–1971 1971–1979   Morocco 1972–1973 [44]
Abdelmajid Dolmy 1969–1974 1971–1987
1990–1991 		  Morocco 1971–1988 Winner of 1976 AFCON and one of Morocco's most-capped players
Jawad El Andaloussi 1965–1972 1972–1977
1983–1985 		  Morocco 1976–1981 Winner of 1976 AFCON [45]
Abdellatif Beggar [fr] 1965–1973 1974–1978
1979–1983
1986–1987 		  Morocco 1979–1981 [46]
Najib Mokhles 1971–1975 1975–1982   Morocco 1976–1979 [47]
Abdelhak Souadi [fr] 1970–1977 1977–1986   Morocco 1983–1988 Winner of 1983 Mediterranean Games and runner-up of 1985 Arab Games [48]
Hassan Mouahid 1973–1978 1978–1990   Morocco 1986–1988 [49]
Mustapha El Haddaoui 1973–1979 1979–1985   Morocco 1982–1994 Winner of 1983 Mediterranean Games and runner-up of 1985 Arab Games
Mohamed Nejmi 1973–1974 1979–1989   Morocco 1981–1983 [50]
Aziz Kharbouch 1972–1979 1979–1980
1983–1988 		  Morocco 1987–1988 [51]
Abderrahim Hamraoui [fr] 1973–1982 1982–1993   Morocco 1986–1988 [52]
Redouane Hajry 1975–1985 1985–1987   Morocco 1993–1995
Tijani El Maataoui 1980–1985 1985–1993   Morocco 1988–1993 [32]
Mustapha Khalif 1985–1988 1988–2000   Morocco 1993–1998
Mustapha Moustawdae 1987–1989 1988–1999   Morocco 1994–1998
Salaheddine Bassir 1983–1991 1991–1997   Morocco 1994–2002 Morocco's all-time second top goalscorer.
Omar Nejjary 1988–1992 1992–2000
2007–2010 		  Morocco 1996
Abdelilah Fahmi 1988–1993 1994–1999   Morocco 1995–2005
Talal El Karkouri 1994–1995 1995–2000   Morocco 2000–2009 Runner-up of AFCON 2004 and 2005 Islamic Solidarity Games
Mohamed Kharbouch 1994–1997 1997–2003   Morocco 2000–2001
Hafid Abdessadek 1992–1997 1997–2002   Morocco 2006
Adil Serraj 1989–1998 1998–2000   Morocco 2008
Hicham Misbah 1994–1999 1999–2007   Morocco 2004
Zakaria Aboub 1993–1999 1999–2002   Morocco 2004–2007
Sami Tajeddine 1993–2000 2000–2009   Morocco 2002–2004
Mohamed Armoumen 1995–2000 2000–2003
2008–2009 		  Morocco 2002–2006 Winner of 2001 Jeux de la Francophonie
Nabil Mesloub [fr] 1996–2000 2000–2011   Morocco 2002–2006
Marouane Zemmama 1997–2000 2000–2006
2013–2014 		  Morocco 2008–2009 Runner-up of 2005 Islamic Solidarity Games
Amin Erbati 1997–2001 2001–2008
2010–2013 		  Morocco 2002–2009
Hicham Aboucherouane 1999–2001 2001–2007
2010–2011 		  Morocco 2002–2009
Mouhcine Iajour 1998–2003 2004–2007
2012–2014
2017–2019 		  Morocco 2004–2015
Modibo Maïga 2004–2005 2005–2007   Mali 2007–2016 Bronze medalist of 2013 AFCON
Abdessamad Chahiri 2003–2005 2005–2007   Morocco 2007–2008
Said Fattah 1996–2004 2005–2011
2014–2015 		  Morocco 2011–2012
Mohsine Moutaouali 1994–2006 2006–2014
2019–2022 		  Morocco 2012–2015
Abdou Razack Traoré 2006–2007 2006–2007   Burkina Faso 2011– Runner-up of 2013 AFCON and bronze medalist of 2017 AFCON
Mohamed Oulhaj 1999–2007 2007–2019   Morocco 2008–2014
Yassine Salhi 2006–2007 2007–2016   Morocco 2011–2012 Winner of 2012 Arab Cup
Ismail Belmaalem 1999–2009 2009–2015
2018 		  Morocco 2012 Winner of 2012 Arab Cup
Mohamed Chibi 2001–2011 2011–2013   Morocco 2021– Winner of 2013 Islamic Solidarity Games
Abdelilah Hafidi 2009–2011 2011–2022
2023 		  Morocco 2013–2021 Winner of 2018 CHAN and 2020 CHAN
Marouane Hadhoudi 2003–2011 2020–2023   Morocco 2018 Winner of 2018 CHAN
Badr Benoun 2001–2013 2015–2020   Morocco 2016– Winner of 2018 CHAN and 2013 Islamic Solidarity Games

Fourth of the 2022 World Cup

Abderrahim Achchakir 2000–2003 2017–2021   Morocco 2013–2015
Soufiane Rahimi 2006–2017 2018–2021   Morocco 2021– Winner and best player of 2020 CHAN
Nawfel Zerhouni 2006–2015 2015–2016
2023– 		  Morocco 2018 Winner of 2020 CHAN
Azzedine Ounahi 2010–2015 –   Morocco 2022– Fouth of the 2022 World Cup
Reda Slim 2014–2017 –   Morocco 2021 Winner of 2020 CHAN

Honours

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This list only includes U-21s honours in national leagues:

  • Championnat du Maroc Espoirs / GNF (until 2018–19)
    • Winners: 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91,1991–92,[19] 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07,[53] 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12,[54] 2012–13,[55] 2013–14.[56]
    • Runners-up: 2010–11,[57] 2014–15, 2015–16,[58] 2018–19.[59]

References

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