The Moroccan sporting community is mourning the loss of Ahmed Faras, the nation’s legendary footballer and the only Moroccan to have won the African Ballon d’Or. Faras passed away on Wednesday, July 16, at the age of 78 after a long illness, leaving behind a legacy as an extraordinary player and a revered figure in African football.
In a heartfelt message, King Mohammed VI extended his condolences to Faras’s family, his longtime club Chabab Mohammedia, and the entire national sports fraternity.
The monarch honoured him as a “great name in Moroccan football” who played a pivotal role in elevating the country’s sporting stature during the 1960s and 1970s.
Born in 1946 in Mohammedia, Faras’s career is etched in the annals of Moroccan football history.
He remains the top scorer for the senior national team, with 42 goals, and also made significant contributions to the Olympic team, scoring 14 goals in 23 appearances.
His club career at Chabab Mohammedia was equally decorated, securing titles such as the national championship in 1980, the Throne Cup in 1972 and 1975, the Maghreb Cup in 1973, and the Super Cup in 1975.
Faras’s name is forever linked to Morocco’s only African Cup of Nations triumph in 1976 in Ethiopia, where he captained the team and was named the tournament’s best player.
The year prior, he achieved a historic milestone by winning the African Ballon d’Or—an accolade yet to be matched by any other Moroccan.
Tributes have poured in to honour a loyal, charismatic, and exemplary sportsman whose career continues to inspire generations. While his passing signals the end of an era, Ahmed Faras’s enduring legacy remains deeply embedded in the collective memory of Moroccan and African football.
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