Morocco’s Suspended Throne Cup Creates CAF Confederation Cup Qualification Dilemma

Rabat – The identity of the second Moroccan club in the 2026-2027 CAF Confederation Cup remains unclear after the suspension of the 2024-2025 Throne Cup.

Raja Club Athletic secured one of Morocco’s places in the competition after finishing third in the Botola Pro standings. The second spot normally goes to the winner of the Throne Cup.

However, the 2024-2025 edition of the competition has not yet been completed.

The National Professional Football League (LNFP) announced the postponement of the remaining Throne Cup matches until the beginning of the next season. The competition was still at the Round of 16 stage, with the postponed match between FAR Rabat and Stade Marocain scheduled for July 8.

The timing has created a problem because the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to finalize the list of participating clubs on July 25.

With the Throne Cup winner still unknown, Moroccan football authorities must determine who should receive the place normally reserved for the cup champion.

The usual qualification rule

The usual system is straightforward.

The first- and second-placed teams in the Botola Pro qualify for the CAF Champions League, while the third-placed team and the Throne Cup winner qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup.

Based on the final league standings, Morocco Fassi and RS Berkane qualified for the Champions League, while Raja secured the first Confederation Cup spot.

The problem concerns the second place in the Confederation Cup.

Since the Throne Cup winner has not yet been determined, there is no clear answer regarding which club should receive the place before CAF’s deadline.

The situation has also raised questions about the existence of a specific regulation governing the exceptional case of an unfinished domestic cup competition.

FAR Rabat claims the second spot

FAR Rabat announced on July 8 that it had secured a place in the 2026-2027 CAF Confederation Cup.

According to the club’s official statement, the postponement of the Throne Cup led to Morocco’s representatives in continental competitions being determined based on the final Botola Pro standings.

FAR finished fourth in the league and therefore claimed the second Confederation Cup spot under this interpretation.

However, the LNFP had not issued a separate official statement confirming FAR’s qualification at the time of the latest reports.

This means that FAR’s announcement represents the club’s position and claim to the continental place, but the absence of a separate official confirmation from the LNFP leaves the legal basis of the decision open to discussion.

A previous similar case

A similar situation arose at the end of the 2018-2019 season, when the Throne Cup had not yet been completed as Morocco prepared to determine its representatives in continental competitions.

At the time, Hassania Agadir finished third in the Botola Pro and secured a place in the CAF Confederation Cup. The unresolved Throne Cup situation also raised the possibility of awarding the second continental spot to the fourth-placed team, Olympique Safi.

The eventual solution, however, involved RS Berkane, who participated in the 2019-2020 CAF Confederation Cup after previously qualifying for the competition as the 2017-2018 Throne Cup winner.

Could Olympique Safi receive the second CAF spot?

The situation raises a key question: will the same approach be considered for Olympique Safi, the last team to win the Throne Cup, or will the authorities rely on the Botola standings and award the second CAF Confederation Cup place to fourth-placed FAR Rabat?

No official answer has been given so far.

According to SNRT News, the digital news platform of Morocco’s public broadcaster, the outlet contacted LNFP president Abdessalam Belkchour and the league’s secretary general, Khalid El Maghafri, to seek clarification on the legal mechanism that will determine Morocco’s second representative in the CAF Confederation Cup. However, neither official had responded at the time of publication.

Until the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) or the LNFP issues an official position, the identity of Morocco’s second representative remains unclear. The unfinished Throne Cup, the approaching CAF deadline and the previous case involving RS Berkane have all added to the uncertainty surrounding the qualification process.

The key question now is whether FAR Rabat will receive the continental spot based on its fourth-place finish in the Botola Pro, or whether Moroccan football authorities will adopt another solution linked to the unfinished Throne Cup.

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