Morocco hosting festival of African friendlies

A total of 18 national teams are descending on Morocco this month, with the North African country again the hub for a series of international matches as national teams use the June international window for friendly scrimmages.

Morocco has hosted a prolific number of African national teams in recent years, notably those who have been unable to use their own stadia because of bans imposed by the Confederation of African Football on unsuitable facilities.

Among those playing this month in Morocco, who later this year host the Africa Cup of Nations finals, are Bafana Bafana’s World Cup rivals Benin and Zimbabwe, as well as Benni McCarthy’s Kenya.

There are a total of 18 matches, with Benin going up against the powerful Morocco side while Zimbabwe take on Burkina Faso and Niger.

Kenya’s Harambee Stars have two friendlies against Chad in Marrakech.

Thursday, June 6

Burkina Faso v Zimbabwe (Mohammédia)

Burundi v Guinea-Bissau (Berrechid)

Cameroon v Uganda (Marrakech)

Equatorial Guinea v Gambia (Marrakech)

Gabon v Niger (Casablanca)

Mauritania v Central African Republic (Casablanca)

Morocco v Benin (Fès)

Sudan v Zambia (Berrechid)

Friday, June 7

Chad v Kenya (Marrakech)

Sunday, June 9

Cameroon v Equatorial Guinea (Marrakech)

Gabon v Guinea-Bissau (Mohammédia)

Gambia v Uganda (Marrakech)

Morocco v Tunisia (Fès)

Tuesday, June 10

Burundi v Mauritania (Mohammédia)

Chad v Kenya (Marrakech)

Niger v Zimbabwe (Casablanca)

Sudan v Central African Republic (Berrechid)

Tunisia v Zambia (Casablanca)