Fouzi Lekjaa

Fouzi Lekjaa (Arabic: فوزي لقجع; born on 23 July 1970) is a Moroccan football administrator and businessman, who is the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation since 2014, and a member of the FIFA Council since 2021. On 7 October 2021 he was appointed Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance, responsible for the budget.[2]

Fouzi Lekjaa
Lekjaa in 2017
15th President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation
Assumed office
2014
Preceded byAli Fassi-Fihri
In office
2013–2013
Preceded byAli Fassi-Fihri
Succeeded byAli Fassi-Fihri
Personal details
Born
Fouzi Lekjaa

(1970-07-22) 22 July 1970[1]
Berkane, Morocco
OccupationMember, FIFA Council

Biography

Fouzi Lekjaa was born in Berkane on 23 July 1970, to a middle-class family. He spent his childhood in this city where he obtained his baccalaureate before starting higher studies in Rabat. His father is a former Arabic teacher who started his career in Berkane.[3]

As he specialized in sports and a graduate in agricultural engineering from the National School of Administration, Lekjaa began his career as a financial inspector. He was appointed head of the agricultural sector and compensation division at the budget department of the finance ministry in 2000. In the same year, he took on a role in the technical staff of the RS Berkane team, an amateur club playing in the Moroccan third division. He takes part in the club's infrastructure projects and gradually builds governance, organization and professionalization of the club with the help of his financial resources.

Its improvement work allows the validation of several lawns in the Berkane region as well as the development of several amateur clubs in the best conditions. Lekjaa gained notoriety in 2009 when he became the manager of his hometown club, the Berkane Sports Renaissance. It sets up a training center based in the same city for young talents evolving in the city, but also elsewhere in Morocco.

Entry into the management of RS Berkane

In 2009, Lekjaa was appointed president of the Berkane Sports Renaissance Club.[4]

Having created financial stability within the club, several sponsors come forward. In two seasons, he managed to get his club up to Botola Pro, from which the club had been absent since 1984. RS Berkane knew in such a short time a huge margin of financial and sporting progress.

Lekjaa quickly created a bond of friendship with Ilyas El Omari, club president at Chabab Rif Al Hoceima, who also has the same background as him.

Presidency of the FRMF

Lekjaa has been the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) since 13 April 2014, when he succeeded Ali Fassi Fihri.[5] Under his leadership, he quickly established a structure within the federation by developing 16 clubs in Moroccan D1 and 16 clubs in D2. The amateur class has a hundred clubs organized in regional league. At the level of each league, there are on average 120 clubs. The president obliges each club, of all levels, to have at least three classes of young people: the U17s, the U20s and the hopes. It modernizes and professionalizes infrastructure developments across the country.

Lekjaa is also building political will with King Mohammed VI, where the two men invest together in football projects.

In a record time of five years, they managed to launch the construction of the Mohammed VI complex in Salé. The complex is spread over 30 hectares and houses a capacity of 480 young footballers. It has nine training rooms, a covered room, a medical clinic that covers 400 square meters. This project cost $65,000,000. It was inaugurated in 2019.

On 25 June 2022, was reelected president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), during the elective general assembly of the Federation, held Friday at the Mohammed VI complex in Maamora.[6] Lekjaa submitted his candidacy for the position on June 4, and was the only candidate, running for his third term in the same position.[7][8]

Member of the CAF Council

In July 2017, he had been the 2nd vice-president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).[9][10] On 2 April 2021, Lekjaa was Reappointed as Chairman of CAF Finance Committee.[11][12]

On 13 March 2023, Algeria’s state media accused Lekjaa of “corruption” and “manipulation”, this led to a campaign across social media platforms demanding Lekjaa exit from the CAF Committee.[13][14][15]

Member of the FIFA Council

In March 2021, he was elected to the FIFA Council.[1][16]

Member of the Union of Arab Football Associations

On 17 June 2021, Lekjaa was Elected Member of Executive Council of Arab Football Associations Union.[17][18]

2022 FIFA World Cup

On 28 December 2022, Lekjaa launched an investigation into the potentially illegal sale of 2022 FIFA World Cup tickets.[19][20] and ticketing problems in the Round of 16 Morocco vs Spain match.[21][22][23][24] On 8 March, Lekjaa confirmed the investigation is near to end, claiminig the results will be out “very soon,” revealing the federation’s determination to “end the career” of those responsible for the tickets fiasco.[25] On 8 May 2023, Two individuals suspected behind the world scandal were taken in for questioning at the prosecutor’s office in the Court of First Instance of Casablanca on Monday, one was a club manager and the other was a radio host.[26][27]

Honours

Orders

References
  1. FIFA.com. "FIFA Council Members - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  2. "Fouzi Lekjaa félicité par son homologue djiboutien" (in French). 9 October 2021.
  3. "Maroc : enquête sur l'inoxydable Fouzi Lekjaa – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  4. MATIN, Hafsa Sakhi, LE. "Le Matin - Lekjaa remporte les élections à l'unanimité". Le Matin (in French). Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  5. "Élection de Fouzi Lekjaâ au conseil de la Fifa". Maroc hebdo. 25 March 2021.
  6. "Fouzi Lekjaa reelected FRMF president for third term". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  7. "Fouzi Lekjaa submits candidacy for third term as head of FRMF". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  8. Aamari, Oussama. "Fouzi Lejaa Only Candidate to Succeed Himself as FRMF President". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  9. "Lekjaa elected 3rd vice-president of CAF". Le 360 Sport. Retrieved 21 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "Six Moroccans At CAF Standing Committees". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  11. "Fouzi Lekjaa Reappointed as Chairman of CAF Finance Committee". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2021-04-02. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  12. Guessous, Hamza. "CAF Re-Appoints Morocco's Fouzi Lekjaa As Finance Committee Chairman". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  13. Rahhou, Jihane. "New Algerian Campaign Targets Morocco's Football Federation President Lekjaa". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  14. "حملة تشهير رقمية جزائرية تستهدف رئيس الجامعة الملكية لكرة القدم". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  15. "Regragui réagit à la campagne contre Fouzi Lekjaa". Hespress Français - Actualités du Maroc (in French). 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
  16. "Morocco's Fouzi Lekjaa Elected to FIFA Council". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  17. "Morocco's Lekjaa Elected Member of Executive Council of Arab Football Associations Union". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2021-06-17. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  18. Mazouz, Salah Eddine. "Morocco's Fouzi Lekjaa Elected Member of UAFA's Executive Committee". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  19. Hooper, Olivia. "World Cup: Morocco's Football Federation Investigates 'Illegal' Ticket Sales". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  20. "Morocco's FRMF investigates Qatar FIFA World Cup ticket sales". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  21. "A potential for problems here". The Guardian. 6 December 2022. Tweet from a little over one hour before game begins
  22. "Looks like things are getting fraught outside the stadium". The Guardian. 6 December 2022. Tweet from around 12 minutes before game begins
  23. "58 min: Outside the ground, there's been some regrettable scenes". The Guardian. 6 December 2022. Tweet showing secrity attacking fans still stranded outside stadium in second half / Tweet showing screenshot of a ticket
  24. "So this second incident happened when the spectator entrance was shut. It had stayed open during first half so fans getting late tickets could still enter". The Guardian. 6 December 2022. Tweet noted by The Guardian after 84 minutes of play.
  25. Rahhou, Jihane. "Moroccan Federation Vows to 'End Career' of Those Responsible for World Cup Tickets Fiasco". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  26. Rahhou, Jihane. "World Cup Tickets Scandal: Journalist, Sports Official Brought in for Questioning". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  27. "Public Prosecution pushes for further investigation into the Qatar World Cup ticket controversy". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  28. Eludini, Tunde. "Salah retains African best player award, Oshoala dethroned". premiumtimesng. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  29. Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Aiteo CAF Awards 2018: Winners". CAFOnline.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  30. Zouiten, Sara. "King Mohammed VI Awards Atlas Lions with Wissams at Royal Reception". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
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