The second edition of Foot Expo, a prominent football exhibition held in Marrakech, concluded with a focus on the future of African football. The theme, “Africa, land of the future of football,” addressed important sub-themes such as the construction and optimization of new stadiums and ensuring safety in stadiums.
Given recent incidents of violence in African stadiums, including a CAF Champions League match and the Senegal-Côte d’Ivoire incident during the last round of CAN qualifying, the theme of stadium safety is particularly relevant. Constructing stadiums that meet international standards is crucial for ensuring the safety of players and spectators.
However, the exhibition also highlighted a downturn in the synthetic turf industry. Of the forty exhibitors, a quarter were involved in synthetic turf. Companies from Morocco, France, Belgium, and Spain faced tough competition, with Chinese and Turkish companies entering the market and driving down demand and costs.
The synthetic turf industry, which experienced significant growth in the early 2000s, has become highly competitive, with increased market saturation and pricing pressures. Despite these challenges, companies showcased their products at Foot Expo, emphasizing the quality of their synthetic turf and hoping to find new opportunities in the evolving market.
