Morocco: Botola Pro season opener in doubt amid CHAN scheduling clash

The start of the 2025–2026 Botola Pro season in Morocco faces possible delay as the domestic calendar collides with the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN), set to begin in late August.

Concerns emerged following the release of Morocco’s CHAN squad on Wednesday, with national team coach Tarik Sektioui calling up 28 players, all drawn from the domestic league.

The selection significantly impacts several top-flight clubs, many of which now risk starting the season without key members of their squads.

RS Berkane and Raja Casablanca have each contributed six players to the national team, while AS FAR Rabat has released five.

Should Morocco advance deep into the CHAN tournament, these clubs would be left shorthanded for at least the opening two rounds of the Botola Pro campaign.

The situation has sparked growing calls for a postponement, with the Moroccan National Professional Football League (LNFP) reportedly considering a revision of the original league schedule to ease pressure on affected clubs.

Discussions are currently underway, though no formal decision has been announced.

According to several sources close to the matter, the LNFP is weighing a proposal to delay the league’s kick-off by nearly two weeks, shifting the start date from 23 August to 5 September.

This adjustment would allow clubs to regain their players once CHAN commitments conclude or at least progress sufficiently to ease scheduling conflicts.

In tandem with the proposed delay, the league body is also said to be mulling a change to the summer transfer window.

The current plan, which sets the window’s opening for 25 August, may be extended by an additional ten days, giving clubs more flexibility to reinforce their squads in light of the disruptions.

The 2024 CHAN, which features national teams comprised solely of players active in their country’s domestic leagues, has traditionally overlapped with domestic competitions, but this year’s timing appears to have caused particular disruption in Morocco, given the volume of call-ups from key Botola Pro clubs.

Stakeholders across the league are awaiting confirmation from the LNFP, as a final decision on the postponement could reshape preparations for the new season and influence transfer strategies.

Until then, uncertainty remains for coaches and players alike, as clubs grapple with the reality of a calendar shaped not just by league fixtures, but by international duty.