Morocco appoint Ahmed Kantari as new U17 men’s national team coach

Ahmed Kantari has been appointed coach of Morocco’s U17 men’s national team as the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) looks to make greater use of its experienced technical staff.

Kantari, who works as a coach and executive within the National Technical Directorate (DTN), takes charge of the youth side as part of a strategy designed to strengthen the experience of DTN executives and make better use of Moroccan coaching and playing expertise.

The FRMF announced the appointment in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.

Kantari brings extensive experience from both his playing and coaching careers. He represented the national team as a player and spent several years playing for European clubs, particularly in France, before moving into coaching.

The 39-year-old ended his playing career in 2019 and quickly moved into coaching, joining French club Valenciennes as part of their technical staff.

In 2020, he moved to England to work with Nottingham Forest as assistant coach to Sabri Lamouchi.

Kantari then followed Lamouchi to Qatar, joining Al Duhail between 2020 and 2021 as his assistant.

He returned to Valenciennes in 2021, taking up a role on the technical staff of the club’s first team.

Kantari subsequently took charge of the Valenciennes reserve side for the 2022-24 seasons before moving into the senior coaching structure.

He coached the professional team until the end of the 2023-24 season and was officially appointed head coach of the first team in December 2023, remaining in the position until November 2024.

His coaching career then took him back to France, with Kantari joining FC Nantes in December 2024 as part of the first-team technical staff.

A year later, he was appointed head coach of Nantes’ senior side, a position he held until March 2026.

Kantari’s appointment to the Morocco U17 team now gives him a new role within the country’s national setup.

The move is also consistent with the FRMF’s approach of drawing on Moroccan football expertise within the DTN, using coaches with experience at both domestic and European levels.

Kantari’s background includes playing for the national team, a lengthy career in European football and several coaching roles in France, England and Qatar.

He also holds the UEFA-Pro licence, one of UEFA’s highest-level coaching qualifications.

With that experience behind him, Kantari will now lead Morocco’s U17 men’s national team as the latest stage of his coaching career begins.