Voices of the Medina

Location: Casablanca, Morocco

Date: July 4-July 29, 2025

Medium: Digital Video and Photography In Morocco, the streets echo with melodic conversations in Darija,sporadic car horns, the juicing of oranges, the meowing of cats and calls to prayer from the surrounding mosques; but at its core, Moroccan pavements, sidewalks, souks and medinas sound like football. Wherever you turn, whomever you meet: the beautiful game is the pastime, interest and essence of a nation.

On any given day, you can see children gathering to kick a ball in alleyways next to their homes while, around the corner, their fathers migrate to local cafés to sit with one another and indulge in a televised game of football, whether it be local matches or global tournaments. Citygoers all over, from the congested, bustling roads of Casablanca, to the serene, oceanic streets of Tangier, can be spotted in a variety of football attire that displays their devotion to Moroccan stars like Chebbak and Hakimi, or loved ones overseas such as Messi and Mbappe.

While in the North African country of Morocco for this year’s CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the team at Football Case Study, an editorial and photographic platform dedicated to uplifting the global game and its communities, were firsthand witnesses to the ways football acts as the people’s pulse. While walking through cityscapes and marketplaces, the traveling group noticed graffiti tattooed onto the walls of shops, restaurants and homes promoting allegiance to the local clubs of Wydad AC or Raja Casablanca; on the sidewalks, families flowed in and out of the trees to dribble, pass and score; outside of the grand Hassan II Mosque, street games inspired by football stood every 20 feet on the coastal corniches and were never without an amused crowd.
 Video Direction: Matthew David Stith

Editorial Direction: Fay Harvey

Video Edit: Fay Harvey

Production: Matthew David Stith, Fay Harvey

Sound: Fay Harvey

Color: Matthew David Stith

Interpeter: Lamia Tajani

Translation (Post): Jinane Ennasri

Photography: Jinane Ennasri, Andrea Vílchez, Matthew David Stith, Susana Ferriera
































Jinane Ennasri, a Moroccan Photographer based in Doha, Qatar


With this year’s WAFCON taking place in Morocco’s regions of Casablanca, Rabat, Oujda, Berkane and Mohammedia, the country came even more alive in the name of women’s football. As the numerous African nations competed on the pitches, the crowds of travelling supporters exchanged culture, banter, love for the game and, most evidently, pride for their nations. The stadiums were consistently filled with fans, flags, music and relentless cheering. Even as the final concluded in a 3-2 loss for the host nation, Moroccans exchanged gestures of love via hand signals and anecdotes with the victorious Nigerian fan section, exemplifying how football stands as a common language.

As seen through the crowds at WAFCON, it is evident that times are changing. Since the Moroccan women’s national team was established in the late 1990s, a rise in viewership amongst women has become clear, and in this year’s stands alone, seats were occupied by young girls, their mothers and their grandmothers, with many women attending their first-ever football match. At the same time, the sport was championed throughout July by café owners playing the tournament on TV screens, taxi drivers mentioning the game in conversation and billboards encouraging Moroccans to support the tournament. Dressed head to toe in Moroccan ruby red and adorned in the national flag, girls across the nation found immense inspiration by the football happening in their own backyard, while community members came together to celebrate this monumental moment in their nation’s sporting history.






























Lamia Tajani, a Moroccan Interperter based in Casablanca, Morocco
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Voices of the Medina, a multimedia portrait project created by Football Case Study, is a window into how Morocco embraced football during WAFCON. Through intimate portraits in both video and photo formats, the project takes viewers through the landscapes of Morocco in their truest forms — floral backdrops, hectic streets, sandy beaches — with one shared theme: how football has impacted the lives of various generations. Through immersing themselves in the streets of Morocco and engaging in one-on-one conversation, Football Case Study heard from locals who dove into how the historic sport has steadily captivated a nation that relies so heavily on its existence for entertainment, connection and communication. From personal stories to overarching observations, the video series highlights the beating heart of football in Morocco.

As this pivotal moment in football culture makes its way through North Africa, Voices of the Medina is a timestamp of this generational shift that will be felt for years to come marked by a rise in dialogue, acceptance, and love for the game, both on and off the field.































Nour, a Moroccan-Belgian Student based in Casablanca