RABAT: Morocco’s football federation (FRMF) announced on Friday it had told the sport’s world governing body FIFA it will bid to host the 2026 World Cup. It would be Morocco’s fifth candidacy having come up short already in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010. In April, the United States, Canada and Mexico had already announced a joint North American bid to host the tournament. If successful, Morocco would become only the second African country to host football’s flagship event following South Africa in 2010. The north Africans have received backing from African federation (CAF) president Ahmad Ahmad, who said he was “convinced” the country is ready to host a World Cup. The 2026 tournament will be the first with an expanded 48-team tournament, up from the current 32 qualifiers. Morocco had won the right to host the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations but pulled out at the 11th hour over concerns related to the Ebola outbreak in western Africa at the time. But the country has embarked on a professionalisation drive to improve its football infrastructure while increasing it’s candidacies for various tournaments in order to improve its chances of landing a much coveted World Cup. Published in Daily Times, August 12th 2017.