The Mohammed V Stadium (Arabic: ملعب محمد الخامس, French: Stade Mohammed V)[2][3] is a multi-purpose stadium which is part of the Mohammed V Athletic Complex (المركب الرياضي محمد الخامس) 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 45,891, and is the oldest football stadium in Morocco.
The stadium at the 1961 Pan Arab GamesThe "Magana Stand"
On March 6, 1955, the stadium was inaugurated under the name Stade Marcel Cerdan in honour of the French boxer, with a capacity of 30,000. The following year, after the independence of Morocco, it took the name of Stade d'Honneur.[5] This stadium witnessed Morocco qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, which was their first ever World Cup.
At the end of the 1970s, in preparation for the 1983 Mediterranean Games which were held in Casablanca, the stadium was closed for a major renovation; with an increase of the seating capacity, installation of an electronic scoreboard and construction of a 12,000-capacity indoor gymnasium and a 3,000-capacity Olympic-sized swimming pool around the stadium. It reopened in 1981 under its current name, Stade Mohammed V.[5]
Today, the complex has the stadium itself, the gymnasium, the swimming pool, a 650 m2 media centre, a conference room, a meeting room, a care centre, and an anti-doping centre.[5]
Stade Mohammed V is located right in the centre of Casablanca. The international airport in Casablanca, also named after Mohammed V, is 25 kilometres from the stadium and the Casa-Voyageurs rail station is 5 kilometres from the stadium. The stadium has a parking lot with a capacity of 1,000 cars.
In the 2006–07 season, the stadium was renovated again with the inclusion of a semi-artificial lawn of a high standard. It reopened in April 2007.
This amount was mainly allocated to rehabilitate the stadium to meet international standards, such as the quality of the chairs, grass and other equipment of the other facilities, including the electronic clock, clothing stores, rest areas, the press platform and the corridors, in addition to repairs in its surroundings.
Currently, Mohammed V Stadium is built on an area of 12 hectares (12,262 square metres), and is considered a masterpiece of Moroccan sports, as it accommodates about 80,000 spectators and includes a large sports hall containing 12,000 seats, and includes facilities for many sports, such as basketball, handball, volleyball, gymnastics, and boxing, and an Olympic swimming pool.[8]
In July, it was announced that the Mohammed-V Stadium was among the six stadiums which would benefit from a rehabilitation program with a view to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. This vast project which will be carried out by SONARGES includes the removal of the athletics track and an extension of the stands in order to bring it into compliance with FIFA standards.[9][10]
On 1 November 2023, Abdel Latif Naciri, Vice President of the Casablanca Community Council, confirmed that Mohammed V Stadium will undergo a rehabilitation process immediately after the end of the African League competitions.[12]
