Moroccan Excellence Cup


The Excellence Cup or Moroccan League Cup is a knockout football tournament in Moroccan football, created in 2024 and organized by the LNFP. It is open to all professional clubs of the first and second divisions of each season.
Its objectives are the integration and development of young players, the gradual recovery after the breaks and the maintenance of competition rhythm during the suspensions of the league. Participating clubs are required to register at least ten under-23 players on the match squad and to play at least six throughout the match. The competition begins with a group stage consisting of eight groups and continues with a two-legged knockout phase which begins with the round of 16.

History

On 21 June 2024, the president of the Ligue nationale de football professionnel Abdeslam Belkchour, announced during a meeting of the board of directors with the team coaches, the launch of the Excellence Cup. Organized under the aegis of the LNFP, it will be open to clubs competing in the Botola Pro and Botola Pro 2 of each season.
The LNFP states that the competition has the following objectives:
  • The integration of under-23 players into the first team squad.
  • The supervision of talented players likely to be called up to the national youth teams.
  • The gradual resumption after the summer and winter breaks and during international breaks.
  • Increasing the annual number of matches.
  • Maintaining the pace of competition during league breaks.
On 3 September, the Excellence Cup was officially launched with a match between Olympique Dcheira and Hassania Agadir at the Ahmed Fana Stadium.

Regulation

Format

The competition begins with a group stage played in a two-legged format, with the 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams according to the ranking of the previous season, and the replacement of the D2 clubs relegated to D3 by the clubs newly promoted to D2. The first two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, which is also played in a two-legged format. The final and the third place play-off are played in a single leg.
Group 1Group 2Group 3Group 4Group 5Group 6Group 7Group 8
1st D12nd D13rd D14th D15th D16th D17th D18th D1
2nd D31st D314th D213th D212th D211th D210th D29th D2
9th D110th D111th D112th D113th D114th D115th D116th D1
8th D27th D26th D25th D24th D23th D22nd D21st D2

Player registration

This competition has the particularity of requiring participating clubs to register at least ten under-23 players on the match sheet and a mandatory participation of at least six under-23 players throughout the match. Even in the case of an expulsion of an under-23 player during a match, this quota must remain unchanged.
The number of players to be registered on the match sheet is twenty players maximum with a quota of foreigners of five players regardless of their age. Clubs are also required to align the technical staff of their first team.

Results of finals

Performance

Performance by clubs

List of football clubs ranked by total wins and runners-up.
ClubWinnersRunner-upWinning yearsRunner-up years
Olympique Dcheira1-2025
US Touarga-12025

By city

Records

  • First Match
  • *
  • First win
  • *Olympique Dcheira 2–0 Hassania Agadir