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Adrar Stadium

Coordinates: 30°25′38″N 9°32′25″W / 30.4272°N 9.5404°W / 30.4272; -9.5404
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Adrar Stadium
Grand Stade d'Agadir
Annar Adrar
Adrar Stadium in 2019
Stade de Agadir is located in Morocco
Stade de Agadir
Stade de Agadir
Stade de Agadir, Souss-Massa, Morocco
Stade de Agadir is located in Africa
Stade de Agadir
Stade de Agadir
Stade de Agadir (Africa)
LocationHay Mohammadi
80,000 Agadir
Souss-Massa
Morocco
Owner
  • Ministry of Youth & Sports
  • Ministry of Equipment & Transport
OperatorSonarges
Capacity45,480
Field size105 by 84 metres (114.8 yd × 91.9 yd) (9,000 m²)
Surface
  • Grass
  • Classic Tartan track
Construction
Built4 June 2004; 2007; 2009
OpenedOctober 11, 2013
Renovated2023/25
2025/28
Construction cost$103,000,000 (USD)
MAD 860 million (2013)
Architect
Tenants
Website
sonarges.ma

Adrar Stadium (Arabic: ملعب آدرار; Berber languages: ⴰⴱⴰⵔⴰⵣ ⵏ ⵓⴷⵔⴰⵔ (Adrar means mountain in Tamazight[1]); French: Grand Stade d'Agadir), is a multi-use stadium in Agadir, in the Souss-Massa region in the country of Morocco, near the Atlas Mountains, in North Africa, and is used as a home venue by the local football team, Hassania Agadir. It is also sometimes used for the Moroccan national team and for other FIFA and CAF international football matches as a neutral venue.

The construction project began on paper in 2003, with the idea of building the stadium for Morocco's failed 2006 FIFA World Cup bid. In 2007, the project resumed, but it was only completed in time for its inauguration in 2013, the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup that year. It has also hosted the 2018 African Nations Cup.

The Adrar Stadium, with a capacity of 45,480, is mostly used for club football matches in the Botola Pro League, but it is also a host for occasional football matches for the Moroccan national team, a neutral venue for CAF friendlies and tournament qualifiers, and a music concert venue. As of 2024, renovations are under way to increase its capacity ahead of international football tournaments to be hosted by Morocco in 2025 and 2030.

History

[edit]

The stadium's first plan was to be a host venue as a part of Morocco's bid for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which was instead awarded to Germany. Then, the project was put on hold and resumed in 2007 for Morocco's failed bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when in 2010, South Africa was awarded the tournament as the host, and plans for the stadium were paused. The project was resumed in 2009 and finally completed on 11 October 2013.[2][3][4] The inaugural match featured tenants Hassania Agadir—moving from the Stade Al Inbiaâte—in a friendly match against the Algerian side JS Kabylie. Hassania's Saad Lemti scored the first goal in the stadium in the 76th minute, the lone goal of the match.[5] The Adrar stadium replaced their old venue, Stade Al Inbiaâte, as the home stadium of the local football club, Hassania Agadir.[6]

Stadium details

[edit]

The stadium's facade is covered in stone steps and evokes a stepped pyramid, and inside is the football field, surrounded by an athletics track.[7] The original budget by 2013 was 860 million Moroccan Dirhams (MAD) ($103 million in USD) for the cost of construction, however, the final price of upgrading the stadium is higher at 1.008 bn MAD. The architects for the project were the firm Gregotti Associati International from Italy collaborating with the Moroccan architect Sâd Benkiran. On the site is a conference center, exhibition center, snack bar, and shops and restaurants.[8][2] The stadium completed in 2013.[3][9]

VIP seats in the Adrar stadium.

Expansion plans

[edit]

A two-phase expansion project, as part of a national investment in sporting infrastructure, was announced in 2024. The first phase, to be completed for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Morocco, will expand capacity by 14,144. The second phase, to begin after the Africa Cup of Nations and conclude in 2028, will increase football capacity to approximately 70,000 in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host.[10][11][12]

Club matches

[edit]
See also: Hassania Agadir
Hassania Agadir club logo

The Adrar stadium plays host to the Moroccan football club Hassania Agadir (French: Hassania Union Sport D'Agadir), who play locally in the city of Agadir. As of 2024, they are in the highest league in Morocco, the Botola Pro.[13] The team saw some success in 2019, playing in the 2019 Moroccan Throne Cup final, but losing to Tihad AS of Casablanca.[14] Hassania also qualified for the African continent in the CAF Confederation Cup, with games played in Adrar stadium. During the 2018-19 season, Hassania won games to qualify for the 2018–19 CAF Confederation Cup knockout stage, where they lost to the Egyptian team Zamalek SC in the quarter finals and were eliminated from the knockout stages of the Cup.[15]

Covid-19 pandemic

[edit]

Hassania Agadir qualified for the 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup, where they progressed into the knockout stages again. However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation made the decision to play the quarter final home match against Al-Nasr of Libya in Agadir behind closed doors, without any fans in attendance due to the restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hassania won the game, but then lost in the semi-final to fellow Moroccan team RS Berkane. The match had been delayed for five months because of the competition's postponement due to the pandemic.[16][17]

International matches

[edit]
Adrar stadium lit for night match.

Since its opening in 2013, the Adrar stadium in Agadir has played host to numerous football matches for clubs and countries from around the world, including FIFA (Club World Cup) and CAF (African Nations Championship) tournament games. It will host more tournaments in the future.[3] As well as Moroccan friendlies, qualification matches, and tournaments, Adrar stadium has also hosted other African nations, serving as a neutral venue for friendlies, and has had various African (CAF) teams play against each other in qualification matches for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF), 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF).[18] Though the Moroccan government decided to cancel hosting the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations due to fears of the Ebola outbreak, the Adrar stadium would have been used for the tournament.[19] Instead, Equatorial Guinea was chosen as a replacement country to host the 2015 edition of AFCON.[20]

Former Moroccan men's national team manager Ezzaki Badou has praised the stadium and its fans from the Sous area, also citing the moderate climate of Agadir as favorable for the players.[21][22]

Moroccan men's matches

[edit]

Football matches played involving the Moroccan men's national team in Adrar stadium since its opening in 2013:[18]

Date Team #1 Result Team #2 Round
11 June 2024 Morocco Morocco 6-0 Republic of the Congo Congo 2026 FIFA-CAF Group E
7 June 2024 Morocco Morocco 2-1 Zambia Zambia 2026 FIFA-CAF Group E
26 March 2024 Morocco Morocco 0-0 Mauritania Mauritania Friendly
22 March 2024 Morocco Morocco 1-0 Angola Angola Friendly
17 October 2023 Morocco Morocco 3-0 Liberia Liberia 2023 ACON Qual-Group K
31 May 2017 Morocco Morocco 1-2 Netherlands Netherlands Friendly
12 November 2015 Morocco Morocco 2-0 Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea 2018 FIFA-CAF 2nd round
12 October 2015 Morocco Morocco 1-1 Guinea Guinea Friendly
9 October 2015 Morocco Morocco 0-1 Ivory Coast Ivory Coast Friendly
12 June 2015 Morocco Morocco 1-0 Libya Libya 2017 ACON Qual-Group F
28 March 2015 Morocco Morocco 0-1 Uruguay Uruguay Friendly
16 November 2014 Morocco Morocco 2-1 Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Friendly
13 November 2014 Morocco Morocco 6-1 Benin Benin Friendly
11 October 2013 Morocco Morocco 1-1 South Africa South Africa Friendly

CAF

[edit]
See also: Confederation of African Football and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) hosts matches in Agadir's Adrar stadium. The most recent tournament in Agadir was the 2018 African Nations Championship, a competition for men's football in Africa. The country is hosting the African Football Cup of Nations in 2025 for the first time in over 36 years since the 1988 African Cup of Nations. The Adrar stadium will again be a venue for some of the matches involving the 24 African teams, serving as one of the neutral venues in Morocco.[23][3] Morocco also hosted the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations; however, the Adrar stadium was not used for the competition. Instead Rabat and Casablanca were chosen as host cities.[24]

2018 African Nations Cup

[edit]
See also: 2018 African Nations Championship

Results of the football matches played in Agadir for the 2018 African Nations Cup men's tournament:[25][26][27]

Date Local time Team #1 Result Team #2 Round
23 January 2018 19:30 Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea 1-3 Nigeria Nigeria Group C
16 January 2018 16:30 Angola Angola 0-0 Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Group D
16 January 2018 19:30 Cameroon Cameroon 0-1 Republic of the Congo Congo Group D
20 January 2018 16:30 Angola Angola 1-0 Cameroon Cameroon Group D
20 January 2018 19:30 Republic of the Congo Congo 2-0 Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Group D
24 January 2018 19:00 Republic of the Congo Congo 0-0 Angola Angola Group D
28 January 2018 19:30 Republic of the Congo Congo 1(3)-1(5) Libya Libya Quarter-finals

FIFA

[edit]
See also: FIFA

The Adrar stadium has played host to numerous FIFA international football games on club and country levels. The FIFA Club World Cup tournament has been held in the city, and there is an open bid for Agadir to again become a host venue for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. The venue will also be a destination for co-hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2030, with Morocco becoming the second country in Africa to host the tournament after South Africa.[9][11][28]

2013 FIFA Club World Cup

[edit]
See also: 2013 FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA CWC 2013 match, Raja Casablanca v. Auckland City FC.

Morocco was the destination for the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup as a replacement to the tournament being held in Japan for the then yearly continental competition. The reason for the change in the host country was because of the Japanese 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, which affected the country's infrastructure. The Moroccan bid was chosen as the first Club World Cup in Africa for 2013, with Agadir playing host to 4 games in the tournament. Then, in the following year, Morocco once again hosted the 2014 edition of the CWC, although Adrar was not chosen as a venue for any matches for the tournament's second edition in Morocco.[29][30] For a third time, Morocco was chosen as the host country for the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup. However, Agadir was not chosen as a tournament venue; instead Rabat and Tangier were chosen for the matches of the tournament. The hosting of the tournaments in Morocco gave an incentive in 2022 for the government to expand its high-speed railway, Al Boraq, to finally connect Agadir to other cities.[31][32]

Date Local time Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
11 December 2013[33] 19:30 Morocco Raja Casablanca 2–1 New Zealand Auckland City Play-off for QF 34,875
14 December 2013[34] 16:00 China Guangzhou Evergrande 2-0 Egypt Al Ahly Quarter-finals 34,579
14 December 2013[35] 19:30 Morocco Raja Casablanca 2-1 a.e.t. Mexico Monterrey Quarter-finals 34,579
17 December 2013[36] 19:30 China Guangzhou Evergrande 0-3 Germany Bayern Munich Semi-finals 27,311

2030 FIFA World Cup

[edit]
See also: 2030 FIFA World Cup

In attempting to host the FIFA World Cup, Morocco had submitted the failed Morocco 2026 FIFA World Cup bid, with the Adrar stadium being instrumental in the application. However, USA-Canada-Mexico were instead chosen as co-hosts.[31][37] Then, the Morocco–Portugal–Spain 2030 FIFA World Cup bid was chosen for the following World Cup four years later, with the Adrar stadium being scheduled to be used as part of Morocco's triple joint bid, along with Spain and Portugal. The bid was for the centenary anniversary of the FIFA World Cup. For 2030, FIFA decided on a new format to celebrate the "beautiful game", which sees three continents (Africa, Europe and South America) uniting to host the football (soccer) tournament. Therefore, as well as the triple bid around the Iberian Peninsula, the South American countries of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay had also bid to host the cup, and were selected to host the opening group stage games of the 2030 World Cup, whilst the rest of the group stages and knockout stages of the tournament is being held in and around the Iberian peninsula of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The decision to host three games outside of the triple bid involving Morocco was made in recognition of FIFA's inauguration for the first FIFA World Cup during 1930 in Uruguay, Latin America.[10][38][39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Adrar in English". glosbe.com. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Stade Agadir" [Agadir Stadium 45,000 seats]. sadbenkirane.com (in French). Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Grand Stade d'Agadir; where the Atlas Mountains blend with sports facility". sportsvillagesquare.com. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Grand Stade Adrar Agadir". stadiumguide.com. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  5. ^ AI (13 October 2013). "Saad Lemti, premier buteur du grand stade d'Agadir" (in French). Le Matin. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Stade Al Inbiaate". footballgroundmap.com. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Design Grand Stade d'Agadir". stadiumdb. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Grand Stade d'Agadir". stadiumdb.com. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Agadir Stadium". fifa.com. FIFA. 21 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b "When and where is next AFCON? Confirmed dates, year, host cities, stadiums for Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco". sportingnews.com. 21 June 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Morocco to build new stadium, upgrade six others before 2030 World Cup". reuters.com. Reuters. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Morocco Plans to Renovate Six Stadiums For 2030 World Cup Matches". moroccoworldnews.com. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Morocco-Hassania Union Sport D'Agadir". us.soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  14. ^ "TAS Casablanca Wins First Ever Title in Historic Throne Cup Final". moroccoworldnews.com. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Hassania v. Zamalek". 7 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  16. ^ "African Confederation Cup: RS Berkane beat Hassania Agadir to reach final". bbc.com. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Coronavirus: Moroccan football matches to be played without fans". bbc.com. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Stade Adrar". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  19. ^ "CAF acknowledges Morocco's refusal to host ORANGE AFCON 2015 from January 17 to February 8". CAF. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  20. ^ "2015 Nations Cup: Equatorial Guinea to host tournament". BBC Sport. BBC. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  21. ^ "بادو الزاكي ينوه بالجمهور السوسي" [Badou Zaki praises the Soussi audience]. anfaspress.com (in Arabic). 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  22. ^ "الزاكي مصر على اختيار أدرار لملاقاة الرأس الأخضر" [Zaki insists on choosing Adrar to face Cape Verde]. m.le360.ma (in Arabic). 18 January 2016. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Morocco readies for TotalEnergies CAF AFCON return after 36-year hiatus". cafonline.com. 2 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Women's African Cup of Nations 2022: Morocco women's football team await historic final in tournament of firsts". newarab.com. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  25. ^ "African Nations Cup, Group C". national-football-teams.com. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  26. ^ "African Nations Cup, Group D". national-football-teams.com. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  27. ^ "African Nations Cup, Quarter Finals". national-football-teams.com. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Morocco Plans to Host 2029 FIFA Club World Cup". moroccoworldnews.com. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  29. ^ "Match Schedule – FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014" (PDF). FIFA.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Morocco to host 2013-2014 Club World Cup". moroccotomorrow. 17 December 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Club World Cup: Hosts Morocco seek to impress Fifa after heroics in Qatar". middleeasteye.com. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Morocco's High-Speed Train Trial Run Finishes in Marrakech". Morocco World News. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  33. ^ "QF Playoff match". fifa.com. 11 December 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013.
  34. ^ "QF Match". fifa.com. 14 December 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013.
  35. ^ "QF Match". fifa.com. 14 December 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013.
  36. ^ "SF Match". fifa.com. 14 December 2013. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013.
  37. ^ "Canada, Mexico and USA selected as hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup". inside.fifa.com. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  38. ^ "FIFA World Cup 2030™: Everything you need to know". fifa.com. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  39. ^ "6 Countries will host the FIFA World Cup in 2030". npr.org. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
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30°25′38″N 9°32′25″W / 30.4272°N 9.5404°W / 30.4272; -9.5404

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