Charlie Alford

Promising Moroccan footballer, 24, drowns while swimming to Ceuta

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:2 August 2026
Post last modified:2 August 2026

Just a few days ago, Faten Ben Omar El Azizi, a young Moroccan woman footballer, was chasing her dream on the pitch. She believed her best years were still ahead of her and that football might lead her to a brighter future. Sadly, her final journey did not end on a football pitch, but rather in the waves of the sea separating Fnideq, in northern Morocco on the Mediterranean coast, and the Spanish city of Ceuta. Faten Ben Omar El Azizi, who played for both Moghreb Atlético Tetuán and Morocco Athlétic Tangier, died while attempting to swim to Spanish enclave Ceuta.…

Spain deploys army to Moroccan colony after mass influx of refugees

Post author:Joe Glenton
Post published:31 July 2026
Post last modified:31 July 2026

Spain has deployed the military after up to 50,000 migrants crossed into Ceuta, a common crossing point and Spanish colonial enclave on the north African coast. Authorities are tightlipped about the mass crossing but up to 34 people are reported to have died. Time magazine reported: While surges in illegal crossings have happened before in Ceuta, it’s unclear what caused the recent one. Thousands of migrants have streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa from Morocco, prompting local officials to call for help from Spain’s national government in Madrid to restore the border. pic.twitter.com/S2fTWapBzR — The Associated…

Moroccan whistleblower reveals power and reach of Israel’s Pegasus spyware

Post author:Joe Glenton
Post published:16 July 2026
Post last modified:17 July 2026

A Moroccan intelligence insider has helped expose the scale and reach of the country’s use of Pegasus spyware. The advanced Israeli-made technology hacks into smartphones allowing spies to eavesdrop on and manipulate the devices. The former agent said Pegasus was used to spy on journalists, activists and foreign officials from Spain and France. As the Guardian has it: Pegasus, which is manufactured by the Israel-based NSO Group, allows its operator to access everything on a target’s mobile phone, including emails, text messages and photographs. It can also activate the phone’s recorder and camera, turning it into a listening device. Morocco claims…

Moroccan National Team — Now a global football power

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:5 July 2026
Post last modified:5 July 2026

The Moroccan national team no longer needs to be described as a “dark horse.” Its World Cup achievements are no longer fleeting surprises. Reaching the quarterfinals twice shows the “Atlas Lions” have arrived. Qatar 2022 was not their ceiling. It was the start of an integrated football project. They are now imposing themselves among the world’s elite. Fans once celebrated teams that surprised everyone and then left. Morocco broke this rule. They shifted from seeking recognition to being a respected contender. Opponents now prepare for them before every match. Title contenders? Morocco entered the Qatar World Cup outside the favorites circle.…