Association Sportive Des FAR
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Association sportive des Forces armées royales (, ), abbreviated as AS FAR (), is a professional
sport club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
based in Morocco's capital
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
, that competes in
Botola The Botola Pro (), officially known as the Botola Pro Inwi for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Morocco and the top tier of the Moroccan football league system. Organized by the Ligue Nationale de Football Prof ...
, the top tier of Moroccan football. The club was founded in 1958, 3 years after Morocco had gained their independence and is one of the most famous football clubs in Morocco. The club has traditionally worn a black home kit since inception. AS FAR is a well known club for the success of its football section, very popular in and outside the country. The team played its home matches in the 53,000 capacity
Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (, , ) is a football stadium under construction, it is part of a larger sports complex with an athletics track and field stadium, an indoor arena named the Salle Moulay Abdellah and an Olympic swimming pool in R ...
in downtown
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
from 1983 to 2023. The club is one of the most widely supported teams in Africa. AS FAR is one of three founding members of
Botola The Botola Pro (), officially known as the Botola Pro Inwi for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Morocco and the top tier of the Moroccan football league system. Organized by the Ligue Nationale de Football Prof ...
that have never been relegated from the top division, Since the club's inception in 1958, along with
Wydad AC Wydad Athletic Club (, ), often known outside Morocco as Wydad Casablanca, is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca. Wydad AC is best known for its professional Association football, football team that competes in Botola, the top tier of th ...
and
Raja CA Raja Club Athletic, widely known as Raja Casablanca or simply Raja, is a Football team, football club based in Casablanca, Morocco, that competes in Botola, the top flight of Moroccan football league system, Moroccan football. Founded on 20 M ...
. The club holds many long-standing rivalries, most notably the rivalries with Wydad AC, Raja CA and
FUS Rabat Fath Union Sport (), commonly known as FUS Rabat, is a Moroccan professional football club based in Rabat and currently playing in the first division. The club was founded on 10 April 1946. 'Fath Union Sport' is the name of the sports club whi ...
, whom they contest the "Capital Derby". AS FAR is among the clubs with the most titles in Morocco, and was ranked first locally, 10 continental and 201 universally, in the international rankings of clubs during the first ten years of the 21st century (2001–2010), issued by the
International Federation of Football History & Statistics The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
in 2011. AS FAR is one of the most successful clubs in Morocco with 31 titles in total: 13
Botola The Botola Pro (), officially known as the Botola Pro Inwi for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Morocco and the top tier of the Moroccan football league system. Organized by the Ligue Nationale de Football Prof ...
, 12
Moroccan Throne Cup The Moroccan Throne Cup or the Throne Cup () is a knockout football tournament in Moroccan football, organized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.The first club to win this cup was Mouloudia Oujda. Since the inception of the cup, the sy ...
, 4
Moroccan Super Cup The Moroccan Super Cup was a one-match football tournament that was held at the end of each season between the Moroccan League champion and the Moroccan Throne Cup champion. History This cup was initially called the Federal Cup and then late ...
, 1
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
and 1
CAF Confederation Cup The CAF Confederation Cup, known as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship purposes, is an annual association football football team, club competition established in 2004 and organized by Confederation of African Football, CAF ...
. They are the first Moroccan team to win the African Champions League in 1985 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2005.


History


Early years (1958–1965)

AS FAR was founded on 1 September 1958, by the initiative of the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, who was an avid football fan himself, by signing a decree as High Commander of the Moroccan Royal Army. The club scouts and players work with the Royal Armed Forces to develop players in multiple aspects (technical level, fitness management, sportsmanship). One year after its creation, the football team, while still in the second division, won their first Throne Cup. That same year, the club finished first in the division of the Moroccan Championship. In the
Moroccan Throne Cup The Moroccan Throne Cup or the Throne Cup () is a knockout football tournament in Moroccan football, organized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.The first club to win this cup was Mouloudia Oujda. Since the inception of the cup, the sy ...
, they managed to hide in eighths of final and then face the
Wydad Casablanca Wydad Athletic Club (, ), often known outside Morocco as Wydad Casablanca, is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca. Wydad AC is best known for its professional football team that competes in Botola, the top tier of the Moroccan football ...
. The latter was beaten by a score of 1–0. During the quarter-finals, the military defeated the
Fath Union Sport Fath Union Sport (), commonly known as FUS Rabat, is a Moroccan professional football club based in Rabat and currently playing in the first division. The club was founded on 10 April 1946. 'Fath Union Sport' is the name of the sports club whi ...
Rabat at the first Rabat derby, where AS FAR won the match 3–1. The final took place on December 14, 1959, face Mouloudia Oujda won the first two editions of the throne cup and prepares to make a triple while the military, for their first season, a cut of the throne would be the ideal. Finally the AS FAR win this match on the 1–0 score that is stuck at
Stade Mohammed V The Mohammed V Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium which is named after King Mohammed V and situated at the heart of Casablanca, Morocco, in the western part of the Maârif neighborhood. The stadium has a seating capacity of 45,000 and it is ...
. The Royal Army's won its second title in less than two years, after it squandered the championship title in a play-off against the
KAC Kénitra KAC or Kac may refer to: Organizations * Kenitra Athletic Club, a football club in Kenitra, Morocco * EC KAC or Klagenfurter Athletiksport Club, an ice hockey club in Klagenfurt, Austria * Knight's Armament Company, an American firearm manufactu ...
. The 1964–65 season was known for repeated arbitration mistakes, and the meeting with
Maghreb de Fès Maghreb Fez () is a Moroccan professional football club based in Fez, that competes in Botola, the top flight of Moroccan football. The club was founded in 1946. Maghreb Fez, commonly known as MAS, is one of the oldest sports clubs in Morocco. ...
was the point that overflowed the cup with a disastrous arbitration that directly affected the outcome of the meeting and the fate of the championship title by virtue of the fact that the defeat ended 3-0 and in Rabat, the match with a quarrel between the players and the referee. After the incident, the
Royal Moroccan Football Federation The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (; Tamazight: ⵜⴰⵙⴷⴰⵡⵉⵜ ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⴰⵏⵜ ⵜⴰⵎⵖⵔⴰⴱⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵜⵡⵊⴰ ⵏ ⵓⴹⴰⵔ) is the governing body of football in Morocco. It was established in 1956. It beca ...
took an unfair decision to suspend the club for a full season and thus not participate in the championship and cup for the following season 1965–66. The military team spent a white season away from local stadiums, but it did not stop competing, as it preferred to play international matches against international teams and teams to maintain competitiveness. They played nearly 50 international matches in one season against international teams in various European countries such as Spain, France and Russia, including
Cádiz CF Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Cádiz, Andalusia. Founded in 1910, the club competes in Segunda División, holding home games at Nuevo Mirandilla, with a seating capacity of 20,724. Salvadoran ...
,
Recreativo de Huelva Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, S.A.D. () is a List of football clubs in Spain, Spanish football club based in Huelva, Andalucia, Spain. Founded on 23 December 1889, they are the oldest football club in Spain, and currently play in , holding home ...
and
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, most notably against
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
at the
Camp Nou Camp Nou (), meaning ''New Field'' and often referred to in English as the Nou Camp, is a stadium in Barcelona and the home of La Liga club FC Barcelona since its opening in 1957. It is currently undergoing renovation, and with a planned increa ...
on December 25, 1966, which ended with four goals to zero in favor of the Spaniards, while they succeeded in snatching a tie against
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
in a match on the occasion of the inauguration of the
Vicente Calderón Stadium The Vicente Calderón Stadium ( ) was the home stadium of Atlético Madrid from its completion in 1966 to 2017, with a seating capacity of 54,907. It was located on the banks of the Manzanares, in the Arganzuela district of Madrid, Spain. The ...
, ended with a score of 2-2, before the team visited the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in two trips, the team drew 1–1 against Dinamo Moscow.


Domination of Moroccan football (1965–1984)

The Royal Army returned to the atmosphere of competition in the championship, after the banned season. AS FAR was crowned with two other titles immediately after resuming its activity in the championship in 1967 and 1968 and 1970. In the same period, at the beginning of the sixties, Al-Asaker also took control of the
Moroccan Super Cup The Moroccan Super Cup was a one-match football tournament that was held at the end of each season between the Moroccan League champion and the Moroccan Throne Cup champion. History This cup was initially called the Federal Cup and then late ...
winning it in four out of six times. Then the Royal Army, led by its French coach Clezo, began to dominate the league competition by winning four titles, and the team's first meeting with the championship title was in the 1960–61 season, and control of the championship title continued for four consecutive seasons until 1964 as a new record. Internationally and in the same era, the Royal Army team had the honor of participating in the first edition of the
Mohammed V Cup The Mohammed V Cup, also known as International Mohammed-V Cup, was an international association football, football tournament in the Kingdom of Morocco held in the cities of Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech. The trophy was named after Mohammed ...
in 1962, after winning the league title the same year, the Royal Army was ranked third, after a 5–0 defeat against French club
Stade Reims Stade de Reims () is a French professional football club based in Reims. The club was formed in 1931 and plays in Ligue 2, the second tier of football in France. Reims plays home matches at the Stade Auguste Delaune. Reims is one of the mos ...
. They were set to face
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
for the third-place position, the match ended in 4–3 victory, thus becoming the first Arab and African team to beat the 20th Century Club. In their fifth participation, the military team was able to reach the final of the
Mohammed V Cup The Mohammed V Cup, also known as International Mohammed-V Cup, was an international association football, football tournament in the Kingdom of Morocco held in the cities of Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech. The trophy was named after Mohammed ...
for the first time in 1967, when it eliminated in the semi-finals the
Dukla Prague Dukla Prague () was a Czech football club from the city of Prague. Established in 1948 as ATK Praha, the club won a total of 11 Czechoslovak league titles and eight Czechoslovak Cups, and in the 1966–67 season, reached the semi-finals of the ...
with a score of 1–0, to face the Bulgarian
CSKA Sofia CSKA Sofia () is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia and currently competing in the country's premier football competition, the First League. ''CSKA'' is an abbreviation for ''Central Sports Club of the Army'' ...
in the final, which won the title at the expense of the military team with great difficulty by a score of 1- 0. The military team returned to the
Mohammed V Cup The Mohammed V Cup, also known as International Mohammed-V Cup, was an international association football, football tournament in the Kingdom of Morocco held in the cities of Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech. The trophy was named after Mohammed ...
final in 1970 for the second time, where they faced the Spanish giant
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
, the Royal Army lost 4–1. AS FAR was the first Moroccan team to participate in African competitions by drawing the 1968 African Cup of Champions Clubs, after winning the league for the same year. With the beginning of the seventies, exactly in 1971, and after an absence of 11 years, the military team, accompanied by its Spanish coach
Sabino Barinaga Sabino Barinaga Alberdi (15 August 1922 – 19 March 1988) was a Spanish football forward and manager. He appeared in 205 La Liga matches and scored 92 goals over 13 seasons, almost exclusively for Real Madrid. He later embarked on a manageria ...
, won the second title of the
Moroccan Throne Cup The Moroccan Throne Cup or the Throne Cup () is a knockout football tournament in Moroccan football, organized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.The first club to win this cup was Mouloudia Oujda. Since the inception of the cup, the sy ...
at the expense of Maghreb Fez, after the match ended in a 9-8 penalty shootout victory.


First African title (1984–2004)

After a 12 year trophyless run, AS FAR achieved the most important victory by winning the championship titles and the
Moroccan Throne Cup The Moroccan Throne Cup or the Throne Cup () is a knockout football tournament in Moroccan football, organized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.The first club to win this cup was Mouloudia Oujda. Since the inception of the cup, the sy ...
, despite the short period that José Faria spent as the team's coach. The Royal Army team entered the African competition, after winning the championship title, by participating in the
1985 African Cup of Champions Clubs The 1985 African Cup of Champions Clubs was the 21st edition of the annual international club football competition held in the Confederation of African Football, CAF region (Africa), the African Cup of Champions Clubs. It determined that year's cl ...
. It entered history as the first Moroccan team to win a continental title. the Royal Army team reached the semi-finals of the African Champions League for the second time in its history, where it faced the Egyptian team
Zamalek Zamalek ( , ''al zamalek'') is a ''qism'' (ward) within the West District (''hayy gharb'') in the Western Area of Cairo, Egypt. It is an affluent district on a man-made island which is geologically a part of the west bank of the Nile River, wit ...
, and the first leg ended with a score of 1-0 from a penalty kick in favor of the Egyptians in
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, and the same result was recorded in
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
from A penalty kick by Shesha before the match was settled by penalty kicks (4–3), which saw the brilliance of goalkeeper Salah El-Din Hamid, who gave the team qualification for the final round by blocking two penalties, and the joy was not yet complete. In the final, the FAR team faced AS Bilima, the champions of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
, and despite the injury of Timoumi and Abdeslam Laghrissi, the first leg match in Rabat ended with a great victory for the military team, 5–2. The away game ended in a 1–1 draw which gifted the Royal Army their first
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
title. After this historical achievement,
Hassan II of Morocco Hassan II (; 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he was the eldest son of King Mohammed V of Morocco, Mohammed V, and his second wife Princess Lalla Abla ...
insisted on receiving the military team at his residence in the suburbs of the French capital,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, after this first African coronation of its kind. The team is an exceptional congratulations from King Hassan II. The team went on to win three Throne Cup in a row. The Royal Army became the second team to have the honor of keeping the cup in its treasury after
Kawkab Marrakech Kawkab Athletic Club of Marrakesh (; KACM) is a Moroccan professional football (soccer), football club based in Marrakech, Marrakesh. The club was founded on 20 September 1947 by Hadj Idriss Talbi. History On 2 May 2023, Kawkab was promoted to ...
, because the law of the competition grants the winner of the title three times in a row the honor of keeping the Silver Cup permanently. In the 1986 Afro-Asian Club Championship, the first edition of its kind, which was held in
Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
in January 1987, between the Royal Army, the African champions, and the South Korean club,
Busan IPark Busan IPark FC () is a South Korean professional football club based in Busan that competes in K League 2, the second tier of the South Korean football pyramid. They play their home games at the Busan Gudeok Stadium. Busan IPark was founded as ...
, the Asian champion, noticed the defeat of AS FAR by a score of 2–0. Then the Royal Army team embraced the championship title for the second time with Faria in 1987, and in 1989 with Argentine Angelillo, making the military team the first team to reach 10 championships. This generation continued its continental tour by reaching the semi-finals of the
1988 African Cup of Champions Clubs The African Cup of Champions Clubs 1988 was the 24th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the Confederation of African Football, CAF region (Africa), the African Cup of Champions Clubs. It determined that year's cl ...
for the third time in the team's history. To the penalty shootout that defined the Nigerian team's superiority, the Royal Army missed another opportunity to cross into the final.


The Return (2004–)

The Royal Army won two successive titles for the
Moroccan Throne Cup The Moroccan Throne Cup or the Throne Cup () is a knockout football tournament in Moroccan football, organized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.The first club to win this cup was Mouloudia Oujda. Since the inception of the cup, the sy ...
in two Clasico matches at the expense of rival
Wydad Casablanca Wydad Athletic Club (, ), often known outside Morocco as Wydad Casablanca, is a Moroccan sports club based in Casablanca. Wydad AC is best known for its professional football team that competes in Botola, the top tier of the Moroccan football ...
, in 2003 with a goal of zero from a header by Hafeez Abdel-Sadiq with a pass from Ahmed, and in the
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
final, the match ended in a goalless draw, which continued into overtime as well, to decide the penalty shootout, which marked the brilliance of goalkeeper Tariq Al-Jarmouni, and the match ended with the army winning 3–0 on penalties. After a long absence from the championship title that lasted 15 seasons, the military team returned to win its 11th league title in 2005, in a historic match drawing the 30th and last round of the league, in the Mohammed V compound in front of
Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic, widely known as Raja Casablanca or simply Raja, is a Football team, football club based in Casablanca, Morocco, that competes in Botola, the top flight of Moroccan football league system, Moroccan football. Founded on 20 M ...
, leaders by two points, which needed a draw only to crown the title, but it was The soldiers have another opinion, and the
Mohamed Fakhir Mohamed Fakhir (born 1953) is a Moroccan football manager and former player. He was manager of the Morocco national team, and was coach of Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic, widely known as Raja Casablanca or simply Raja, is a Football ...
battalion was able to overthrow Raja and win a clean double signed by Mohamed Armoumen, who also won the top scorer title. The army took the championship title from the city of
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
amid a great public astonishment for the opponent and the great joy of the soldiers, where the meeting was titled in the 21st century match in the Moroccan championship. After 20 years of winning its first African title, the FAR team won the CAF Confederation Cup in 2005 after defeating the Nigerian Dolphins F.C 3–1 in aggregate. AS FAR later went on to lose the
2006 CAF Super Cup The 2006 CAF Super Cup was the 14th CAF Super Cup, an annual football match in Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), between the winners of the previous season's two CAF club competitions, the African Cup of Champions ...
against
Al Ahly SC Al-Ahly Sporting Club (), commonly known as Al-Ahly, is an List of football clubs in Egypt, Egyptian professional sports club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club is mainly known for its professional Association football, football team which curren ...
on penalties. On 2 December 2006, AS FAR lost the
2006 CAF Confederation Cup The 2006 CAF Confederation Cup was the third edition of the CAF Confederation Cup. It started with the preliminary round (home-and away ties) that was played in February and March 2006. Étoile Sahel of Tunisia beat FAR Rabat of Morocco in the f ...
final after losing to
Étoile Sportive du Sahel Étoile Sportive du Sahel (), known as ES Sahel or simply ESS for short, is a Tunisian football club based in Sousse in the Sahel, Tunisia, Sahel region of Tunisia. Their home stadium, Sousse Olympic Stadium, has a capacity of 50,000 spectators ...
on an away goal. In 2007, AS FAR won the Throne Cup after defeating
Rachad Bernoussi Club Rachad Bernoussi is a Moroccan football club currently playing in the second division. The club was founded in 1961 and is located in the town of Casablanca. They play in the Complexe Bernoussi, and their president is Hicham Chbora.. Pe ...
on penalties. Next season, they managed to clinch both domestic titles, the 2008 Botola and the Throne Cup. IN 2009, As far won the Throne Cup after defeating
Fath Union Sport Fath Union Sport (), commonly known as FUS Rabat, is a Moroccan professional football club based in Rabat and currently playing in the first division. The club was founded on 10 April 1946. 'Fath Union Sport' is the name of the sports club whi ...
on penalties. After 11 trophyless seasons, AS FAR clinched the 2020 Throne Cup after defeating
Moghreb Tétouan The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...
3–0. They qualified to the 2023 CAF Confederation Cup, after a 15-year continental drought. In their return to continental competition, AS FAR topped their group stage, qualifying to the knock out stages. Later to be knocked out in the quarter-finals against
USM Alger Union Sportive de la Médina d'Alger (); known as USM Alger or simply USMA for short, is a Association football, football club based in the inner suburbs of Algiers. The club was founded in 1937 and its colours are red and black. Their home sta ...
. After 15 years, AS FAR won its 13th league title in 2023 after topping the table with 67 points.


Grounds


Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

The original Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium () was a multi-purpose stadium in
Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
. It was named after Prince Moulay Abdellah of Morocco and built in 1983, the stadium was the home ground of AS FAR. It was used mostly for
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
matches and it also staged athletics. The stadium had a capacity of 52,000. From 2008 until 2023, it hosted of the
Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat The Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat is an annual track and field competition at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco as part of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings. It was first organized in 2008, and in 20 ...
. It was a confirmed venue for the
2015 Africa Cup of Nations The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, Equatorial Guinea 2015 for sponsorship reasons, was the 30th staging of the Africa Cup of Nations, the international men's football championship of Africa. It was org ...
until Morocco was stripped of its hosting rights. It was also a venue for the
2014 FIFA Club World Cup The 2014 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2014 presented by Toyota for sponsorship reasons) was the 11th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club association football, football ...
and the
2023 FIFA Club World Cup The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 presented by Visit Saudi for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, a FIFA-organised international club football tourname ...
.


Replacement stadium

As of 2023, the 1983 Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was demolished to make way for a new football stadium on the same site. The new venue with a capacity of 68,700 was constructed to be completed for 2025 in time for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and it will also host matches during the
2030 FIFA World Cup The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be the 24th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. Three countries will host the competition, representing, for the ...
.


AS FAR Football Academy


Sports Center of FAR


Honours

:''This is a list of honours for the senior AS FAR team that include a total of 31 Trophies'' * * shared record


Other competitions

* Trofeo Semana del Sol, Spain **Winner (1): 1977 *Trofeo Ciudad de Cordoba, Spain **Runners-up (1): 1976 *
North African Cup of Champions The North African Cup of Champions was a tournament designed by the Union of North African Football (UNAF) that puts together the winners of the domestic leagues around North Africa. The tournament contains representatives from Algeria, Libya, Mo ...
**Runners-up (1):
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
*International elite championship **Runners-up (1): 2008 *Ahmed Antifit Tournament **Winner (1): 2007 **Runners-up (1): 2009


Top scorers

The AS FAR controls the title of Top scorers in Botola, which has the largest number of scorers a total of 14 time
Morocco - List of Topscorers


Top scorers in Botola

* Top scorer award winners


Top scorers in CAF Champions League

* All season * Top scorer award winners


Top scorers in CAF Confederation Cup

*All season


Performance in CAF competitions

At the continental level, AS FAR is the first Moroccan club to have participated in an African Cup; in 1968, when it reached the semi-finals of the
African Cup of Champions Clubs The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) a ...
. It was also the first Moroccan club to win the
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
, in 1985. *
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
: 13 appearances ::
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
 – Semi-finals ::
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
 – Champion ::
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
 – Quarter-finals ::
1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...
 – Semi-finals ::
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
 – Second Round ::
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
 – Second Round ::
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
 – Second Round ::
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
 – Group stage (Top 8) ::
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
 – Preliminary Round ::
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
 – First Round ::
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
 – Preliminary Round ::
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
 – Second Round ::
2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
 – Quarter-finals ''(In Progress)'' *
CAF Confederation Cup The CAF Confederation Cup, known as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship purposes, is an annual association football football team, club competition established in 2004 and organized by Confederation of African Football, CAF ...
: 7 appearances ::
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
 – Play-off round ::
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
 – Champion ::
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
 – Finalist ::
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
 – First Round ::
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
 – Play-off round ::
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
 – Second round ::
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
 – Quarter-finals *
CAF Cup Winners' Cup The African Cup Winners' Cup was a football competition that started in 1975 and merged with the CAF Cup in 2004 to form the CAF Confederation Cup. It was a competition between the winning clubs of domestic cups in CAF-affiliated nations and was ...
: 5 appearances ::
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
 – Quarter-finals ::
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
 – Finalist ::
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
 – Quarter-finals ::
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
 – Quarter-finals ::
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
 – Second Round *
CAF Super Cup The CAF Super Cup, known as TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual African association football competition contested between the winners of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. The competition was f ...
: 1 appearances ::
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
 – Finalist


African cups all-time statistics


Players


First team squad

:'


Managers

* Fin Mohamed Anouar (shtoki) (1958–59) * Fin Larbi Benbarek (1959–60) * Guy Cluseau (1960–69) * Mustafa El Ghazouani (1969–70) *
Sabino Barinaga Sabino Barinaga Alberdi (15 August 1922 – 19 March 1988) was a Spanish football forward and manager. He appeared in 205 La Liga matches and scored 92 goals over 13 seasons, almost exclusively for Real Madrid. He later embarked on a manageria ...
(1970–71) *
Blagoje Vidinić Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of President of the United States, United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom ...
(1971–72) * Anoul dos Santos (1972–73) * Amar Ben Siffedine (1972–73) *
Sabino Barinaga Sabino Barinaga Alberdi (15 August 1922 – 19 March 1988) was a Spanish football forward and manager. He appeared in 205 La Liga matches and scored 92 goals over 13 seasons, almost exclusively for Real Madrid. He later embarked on a manageria ...
(1973–74) * Fin
Driss Bamous Driss Bamous (15 December 1942 – 16 April 2015) was a Moroccan football midfielder. He was also a trained professional soldier at the military academy of Saint Cyr, France. Career Bamous played club football for FAR Rabat in the Botola. Bam ...
(1973–74) * Guy Cluseau (1974–80) *
Sabino Barinaga Sabino Barinaga Alberdi (15 August 1922 – 19 March 1988) was a Spanish football forward and manager. He appeared in 205 La Liga matches and scored 92 goals over 13 seasons, almost exclusively for Real Madrid. He later embarked on a manageria ...
(1980–82) * Mircea Dridea (1982–83) * Fin José Faria (1983–88) * Antonio Angelillo (1988–90) * Fin José Faria (1990–92) * Mustapha Dafarallah (1992–93) * Mário Wilson (1993–95) *
Jesualdo Ferreira Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira (born 24 May 1946) is a Portuguese Manager (association football), football manager who last managed Zamalek SC, Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League. In a managerial career of over forty years, he was in charge of all ...
(1995–96) * Carlos Alhinho (1996–97) * Henri Depireux (1997–98) * Georges Heylens (1998–99) *
Rachid Taoussi Rachid Taoussi ( – born 6 February 1959) is a Moroccan football manager, businessman, philanthropist, and former player. Coaching career From 1995 to 2000, Taoussi was the assistant coach of the Morocco national team. In 1997, he led th ...
(1999–2000) * Henri Depireux (2000–2001) *
Alain Giresse Alain Jean Giresse (; born 2 August 1952) is a French association football, football coach and former player who last managed Kosovo national football team, Kosovo. Giresse was French Player of the Year in 1982, 1983 and 1987. Nominally an Midfi ...
(July 1, 2001 – June 30, 2003) *
Mohamed Fakhir Mohamed Fakhir (born 1953) is a Moroccan football manager and former player. He was manager of the Morocco national team, and was coach of Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic, widely known as Raja Casablanca or simply Raja, is a Football ...
(2004–05) *
Henri Stambouli Henri Stambouli (5 August 1961 – 17 November 2023) was a French football player and manager. Coaching career Stambouli coached Marseille and Sedan in France. Stambouli managed the Togo national team, leaving the position in September 2008 ...
(March 1, 2006 – Jan 6, 2007) *
Jaouad Milani Jawad (Arabic & Persian: جواد), ; ; , ; ; ) is an Arabic given name that means generous, liberal, magnanimous, and open-handed. The name is common in the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, Morocco and South Asia. First name * Jaouad Achab (born ...
(2007) * Mustapha Madih (2007–2008) *
Mohamed Fakhir Mohamed Fakhir (born 1953) is a Moroccan football manager and former player. He was manager of the Morocco national team, and was coach of Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic, widely known as Raja Casablanca or simply Raja, is a Football ...
(2008–2009) * Walter Meeuws (July 16, 2009 – Nov 7, 2009) * Aziz El Amri (2010) * Mustapha Madih (2010–2011) *
Fathi Jamal Fathi Jamal (born 11 February 1959, in Casablanca) is a Moroccan football coach and former player. He played most of his career for Raja Casablanca, JSM Laayoune and Kawkab Marrakech. After retiring as a player, he coached many teams, most notab ...
(Nov 1, 2011 – April 16, 2012) *
Rachid Taoussi Rachid Taoussi ( – born 6 February 1959) is a Moroccan football manager, businessman, philanthropist, and former player. Coaching career From 1995 to 2000, Taoussi was the assistant coach of the Morocco national team. In 1997, he led th ...
(July 1, 2012 – Dec 7, 2012) * Abderrazak Khairi (Dec 7, 2012 – June 25, 2013) *
Jaouad Milani Jawad (Arabic & Persian: جواد), ; ; , ; ; ) is an Arabic given name that means generous, liberal, magnanimous, and open-handed. The name is common in the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, Morocco and South Asia. First name * Jaouad Achab (born ...
(July 1, 2013 – Oct 1, 2013) *
Rachid Taoussi Rachid Taoussi ( – born 6 February 1959) is a Moroccan football manager, businessman, philanthropist, and former player. Coaching career From 1995 to 2000, Taoussi was the assistant coach of the Morocco national team. In 1997, he led th ...
(Oct 22, 2013 – Dec 13, 2014) *
José Romão José Pratas Romão (born 13 April 1954) is a Portuguese former football winger and manager. Playing career Born in Beja, Alentejo, Romão started playing for local club C.D. Beja. He also represented Vitória de Guimarães, AD Fafe, F.C. ...
(2015–16) * Abdelmalek El Aziz (2016) * Aziz El Amri (2016–2018) * Abderrazak Khairi (2018) *
Mohamed Fakhir Mohamed Fakhir (born 1953) is a Moroccan football manager and former player. He was manager of the Morocco national team, and was coach of Raja Casablanca Raja Club Athletic, widely known as Raja Casablanca or simply Raja, is a Football ...
(2018) *
Carlos Alós Ferrer Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...
(2019) * Abderrahim Taleb (2019–2020) * Sven Vandenbroeck (2021–2022) * Fernando Da Cruz (2022–2023) * Mohammed Aziz Samadi (2023) * Nasreddine Nabi (2023–2024) *
Czesław Michniewicz Czesław Michniewicz (; born 12 February 1970) is a Polish professional football manager and former player who most recently managed Botola Pro side AS FAR. He managed the Poland national team in 2022. Managerial career Early years In Septemb ...
(2024) *
Hubert Velud Hubert Velud (born 8 June 1959) is a French football manager and former player, who is currently the manager of Moroccan club AS FAR. Playing career Velud was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône. A goalkeeper, played for Stade de Reims, Châlons-s ...
(2024–25) * Alexande Santos (2025-)


Departments of AS FAR


Supporters

ASFAR has the largest number of supporters of any team in Morocco. The greater focus of fans are in the region
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Rabat-Salé-Kénitra () is one of twelve administrative regions of Morocco. It is situated in north-western Morocco and has a population of 5,132,639 (2024 census). The capital is Rabat. History Rabat-Salé-Kenitra was formed in September 201 ...
. It has a population of 4,580,866. Also, the club has an important fan base inside the country, where several towns are renowned for counting vast majorities of ASFAR supporters, and outside the borders, among Moroccan emigrants. The ASFAR Ultras movement began in 2005, with Ultras Askary Rabat (UAR05) being the first Group Ultra in Morocco, and Black Army (BA06) being the second Group Ultra and it was created in 2006. Their sanctuary is the southern Included of the
Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium (, , ) is a football stadium under construction, it is part of a larger sports complex with an athletics track and field stadium, an indoor arena named the Salle Moulay Abdellah and an Olympic swimming pool in R ...
. File:Black-army-far-wac-4.jpg, Curva chè File:TIFO.jpg, Tifo Ultras Black Army File:Far-wac-.jpg, Pyroshow Ultras Askary File:Tifo des supporters des FAR lors de la final de la coupe du trône 2012.jpg, Tifo Ultras Askary before a final Coupe de Trône


References


External links

*
Official supporters website
(archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Association Sportive des Forces Armees Royales (AS.FAR) Football clubs in Rabat Association football clubs established in 1958 1958 establishments in Morocco Sport in Salé Multi-sport clubs in Morocco Unrelegated association football clubs Military association football clubs Military sports clubs and teams Armed Forces sports society CAF Confederation Cup winning clubs