Casablanca’s Stade Mohammed V has completed a full sound system renovation in readiness for the recent TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 25/26, installing HK Audio Cosmo loudspeakers.
Located in the Maârif district of central Casablanca, Stade Mohammed V is Morocco’s oldest stadium and one of the most famous football arenas in Africa. Opened in 1955, the 67,000-seat stadium has been rejuvenated, enhanced and renamed on multiple occasions, and is home to the nation’s two most followed clubs – Wydad Athletic Club and Raja Club Athletic – as well as hosting international matches and large-scale international events.
With Morocco winning the rights to host the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 25/26, the stadium needed an audio upgrade to meet the technical requirements to host six group matches, one round of 16 games, and the third place play-off. The upgrade project suddenly became a priority for the stadium when Morocco was chosen as a replacement host for the tournament.
Morocco was named as the new host towards the end of 2023 leading to a rapid process of upgrading the six venues to ensure they met the required standards. This timeframe meant that there were only weeks for the entire planning and installation of the new sound system. To add to this challenge, the stadium itself is a difficult acoustic environment. Only one of the stands has a roof, restricting the positions where loudspeakers could be flown and meaning that it would require precise long-throw coverage over distances of up to 150m while maintaining clarity, intelligibility and consistent SPL throughout the stadium.
The team from HK Audio worked with local partner Algam Maghreb, integrator Maghrebnet and consultant Melanie Ziska from Save audio solutions to deliver a system that could meet both the audio and timeframe requirements. To meet these needs, 166 HK Audio Cosmo series loudspeakers were deployed, powered by 250kW of Powersoft Unika amplification. Advanced digital workflow tools, including Ease 5 with Acousteer for system design and ArmoníaPlus for amplifier configuration, enabled rapid yet precise implementation without compromising performance.
‘Delivering a project of this scale within such a compressed timeframe highlights exceptional coordination, engineering expertise and logistical capability,’ says Kamal Fandi, BU Manager at Maghrebnet. ‘Together, we were able to implement a future-proof audio solution that meets the high demands of an international tournament.’
‘This is an excellent reference project for the capabilities of Cosmo,’ adds HK Audio Senior Application Engineer, Fabian Reimann. ‘The long-throw capabilities combined with Cosmo’s adaptable horizontal coverage ensured that we achieved outstanding results for a key venue in a high-profile tournament.’
Following the upgrade, the system was put through its paces at various events including the Casablanca derby between Raja Club Athletic and Wydad Athletic Club ahead of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 25/26. The system received consistently positive feedback on site, both from technicians and organisers. The end result sees it provide a future-proof, tournament-ready audio infrastructure that elevates the match-day experience for players, organisers and tens of thousands of spectators every week.
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