Adrar Stadium


Adrar Stadium, is a multi-use stadium in Agadir, in the Souss-Massa region in the country of Morocco, near the Atlas Mountains, in North Africa, and is used as a home venue by the local football team, Hassania Agadir. It is also sometimes used for the Moroccan national team and for other FIFA and CAF international football matches as a neutral venue.
The construction project began on paper in 2003, with the idea of building the stadium for Morocco's failed 2006 FIFA World Cup bid. In 2007, the project resumed, but it was only completed in time for its inauguration in 2013, the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup that year. It has also hosted the 2018 African Nations Cup.
The Adrar Stadium, with a capacity of 45,480, the venue is mostly used for club football matches in the Botola Pro League, but it is also a host for occasional football matches for the Moroccan national team, a neutral venue for CAF friendlies and tournament qualifiers, and a music concert venue. As of 2024, renovations are under way to increase its capacity ahead of international football tournaments to be hosted by Morocco in 2025 and 2030.

History

The stadium's first plan was to be a host venue as a part of Morocco's bid for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which was instead awarded to Germany. Then, the project was put on hold and resumed in 2007 for Morocco's failed bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when in 2010, South Africa was awarded the tournament as the host, and plans for the stadium were paused. The project was resumed in 2009 and finally completed on 11 October 2013. The inaugural match featured tenants Hassania Agadir—moving from the Stade Al Inbiaâte—in a friendly match against the Algerian side JS Kabylie. Hassania's Saad Lemti scored the first goal in the stadium in the 76th minute, the lone goal of the match. The Adrar stadium replaced their old venue, Stade Al Inbiaâte, as the home stadium of the local football club, Hassania Agadir.

Stadium details

The stadium's facade is covered in stone steps and evokes a stepped pyramid, and inside is the football field, surrounded by an athletics track. The original budget by 2013 was 860 million Moroccan Dirhams for the cost of construction, however, the final price of upgrading the stadium is higher at 1.008 bn MAD. The architects for the project were the firm Gregotti Associati International from Italy collaborating with the Moroccan architect Sâd Benkiran. On the site is a conference center, exhibition center, snack bar, and shops and restaurants. The stadium completed in 2013.

Expansion plans

A proposed two-phase expansion project, as part of a national investment in sporting infrastructure, was announced in 2024. Potentially, the plan is for the first phase to be completed for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Morocco, which will expand capacity by 14,144. Then, speculation is that the second phase is to begin after the Africa Cup of Nations and conclude in 2028, will increase football capacity to approximately 70,000 in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host.
However, despite speculation, the only confirmed capacity for the stadium via FIFA is that the gross capacity will be 46,000, whilst the net capacity will be set at 42,800 for the 2030 World Cup.

Club matches

Adrar Stadium plays host to the Moroccan football club Hassania Agadir, who play locally in the city of Agadir. As of 2024, they are in the highest league in Morocco, the Botola Pro. The team saw some success in 2019, playing in the 2019 Moroccan Throne Cup final, but losing to Tihad AS of Casablanca. Hassania also qualified for the African continent in the CAF Confederation Cup, with games played in Adrar stadium. During the 2018-19 season, Hassania won games to qualify for the 2018–19 CAF Confederation Cup knockout stage, where they lost to the Egyptian team Zamalek SC in the quarter finals and were eliminated from the knockout stages of the Cup.

Covid-19 pandemic

Hassania Agadir qualified for the 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup, where they progressed into the knockout stages again. However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation made the decision to play the quarter final home match against Al-Nasr of Libya in Agadir behind closed doors, without any fans in attendance due to the restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hassania won the game, but then lost in the semi-final to fellow Moroccan team RS Berkane. The match had been delayed for five months because of the competition's postponement due to the pandemic.

International matches

Since its opening in 2013, Adrar Stadium has played host to numerous football matches for clubs and countries from around the world, including FIFA and CAF tournament games. It will host more tournaments in the future. As well as Moroccan friendlies, qualification matches, and tournaments, Adrar stadium has also hosted other African nations, serving as a neutral venue for friendlies, and has had various African teams play against each other in qualification matches for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification. Though the Moroccan government decided to cancel hosting the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations due to fears of the Ebola outbreak, the Adrar stadium would have been used for the tournament. Instead, Equatorial Guinea was chosen as a replacement country to host the 2015 edition of AFCON.
Former Moroccan men's national team manager Ezzaki Badou has praised the stadium and its fans from the Sous area, also citing the moderate climate of Agadir as favorable for the players.

Morocco men's matches

Football matches played involving the Morocco men's national team at Adrar Stadium since its opening in 2013:
DateTeam #1ResultTeam #2Match category
9 September 2024 Morocco1–0 Lesotho2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
6 September 2024 Morocco4–1 Gabon2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
11 June 2024 Morocco6–0 Congo2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 June 2024 Morocco2–1 Zambia2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
26 March 2024 Morocco0–0 MauritaniaFriendly
22 March 2024 Morocco1–0 AngolaFriendly
17 October 2023 Morocco3–0 Liberia2023 AFCON qualification
31 May 2017 Morocco1–2 NetherlandsFriendly
12 November 2015 Morocco2–0 Equatorial Guinea2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
12 October 2015 Morocco1–1 GuineaFriendly
9 October 2015 Morocco0–1 Ivory CoastFriendly
12 June 2015 Morocco1–0 Libya2017 AFCON qualification
28 March 2015 Morocco0–1 UruguayFriendly
16 November 2014 Morocco2–1 ZimbabweFriendly
13 November 2014 Morocco6–1 BeninFriendly
11 October 2013 Morocco1–1 South AfricaFriendly

CAF events

The Confederation of African Football hosts matches in Agadir's Adrar stadium. The most recent tournament in Agadir was the 2018 African Nations Championship, a competition for men's football in Africa. The country is hosting the African Football Cup of Nations in 2025 for the first time in over 36 years since the 1988 African Cup of Nations. The Adrar stadium will again be a venue for some of the matches involving the 24 African teams, serving as one of the neutral venues in Morocco. Morocco also hosted the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations; however, the Adrar stadium was not used for the competition. Instead Rabat and Casablanca were chosen as host cities.

2018 African Nations Cup

Results of the football matches played in Agadir for the 2018 African Nations Cup men's tournament:
DateLocal timeTeam #1ResultTeam #2Round
23 January 201819:30 Equatorial Guinea1–3 NigeriaGroup C
16 January 201816:30 Angola0–0 Burkina FasoGroup D
16 January 201819:30 Cameroon0–1 CongoGroup D
20 January 201816:30 Angola1–0 CameroonGroup D
20 January 201819:30 Congo2–0 Burkina FasoGroup D
24 January 201819:00 Congo0–0 AngolaGroup D
28 January 201819:30 Congo1–1
LibyaQuarter-finals

2025 African Cup of Nations

Matches played in the Adrar Stadium for the 2025 African Cup of Nations:
DateLocal timeTeam No. 1ResultTeam No. 2Round
22 December 202520:002–1Group B
24 December 202520:001–0Group F
26 December 202518:001–0Group B
29 December 202518:300–0Group B
31 December 202519:001–2Group F
5 January 202618:003–1 Round of 16
10 January 202620:303–2Quarter-finals