In 2013, Moroccan club Raja Club Athletic, commonly known as Raja Casablanca, posted their best ever results at an international tournament.
At the Fifa Club World Cup staged on home soil that year, Raja Club stormed the final after beating New Zealand’s Auckland City 2-1, Mexico’s Monterrey SC 3-1, followed by a mighty upset in the form of a 3-1 victory over Brazilian club Atletico Miniero, a team that had, among other star players, Ronaldinho Gaucho in their ranks.
Despite losing 2-0 to European giants Bayern Munich in the final, Raja had done enough to attract the attention and praise of a majority of African football fans.
For their efforts, King Mohammed VI, the country’s ruler, rewarded the team with a 7-hectare piece of land in Casablanca.
For months, the club’s management pondered over what to do with the prime asset before settling on building a training ground and academy.
A decade later, what sits on that land is a magnificent piece of architecture and several well-manicured football pitches that have positively impacted the lives of thousands of locals, majority of whom are the youth.
With $2 million dollars (approximately Sh250 million) invested in this project, the facility has, among other, eight well manicured football pitches, 50 rooms that can house up to 100 footballers, state of the art gymnasiums, media rooms, and administrative offices.
That’s not all.
The centre, which employs about 60 support staff including coaches and chefs and houses players of the U21, U19, U17, and U15 teams, also has a health centre, massage rooms and classrooms.
“Not all of these players become professional football players,” explains Omar Khyari, the advisor to the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Association, while pointing at about 30 players in training.
Omar is among the guides who took around journalists and visitors at this expansive facility during my recent visit.
“So the Raja club has partnerships with schools to enable the youth players to study there and train here. Starting this year, we will have teachers come and teach these players. Everything will happen here.”
Omar also breaks down how the facility operates.
“Hundreds of players come here every day with the dream of becoming the best footballers in the world. Few are chosen and trained to achieve that ambition. Most players go out and sign professional contracts elsewhere. Others go out there, impress and come back to play for Raja. It is a success story every time.”
With 12 league, 3 domestic cups and a similar number of Champions League titles, Raja Casablanca statistically is one of the most successful clubs in Africa.
The investment in infrastructure and youth talent will likely help the Green Eagles remain dominant in African football.
Credit: Source link