AB Sport
Logo used since 2016 | |
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sportswear |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Bassam El Akel |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Jerseys, sports equipment |
| Website | absport.ma |
AB Sport (Arabic: ايه بي سبورت) is a Moroccan company specialized in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of sportswear and equipment, including jerseys and gear for clubs and national teams.
Founded in 2016 in Tangier by Bassam El Akel, the company quickly established itself as an emerging player in the sports equipment sector in Morocco and several African countries. Today, it supplies various clubs across multiple sports, as well as national teams such as those of Mauritania, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.[1]
History
The company was founded in 2016 by Bassam El Akel. It began operations by providing kits for the volleyball and basketball sections of Ittihad de Tanger. It later expanded its presence to several lower-division football clubs in Morocco, including those in the second and third divisions.
Partnerships and collaborations
In Morocco
The brand is active in several sports disciplines:
- In volleyball, it is the official kit supplier of the Moroccan Royal Volleyball Federation, including national teams and beach volleyball squads.
- In basketball, AB Sport provides kits for clubs such as KAC Marrakech (KACM).
- In football, it has collaborated with various Moroccan clubs such as Union Sportive de Témara, Renaissance Club Athletic Zemamra, and Wydad de Fès.
International
- In Mauritania, AB Sport signed a two-year deal in May 2019 with the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to outfit the national football teams. It also supplies kits for the basketball club Étoile du Nord (Mauritania).[2] In 2023, a subsidiary of AB Sport was inaugurated in Nouakchott, in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.[3]
- In Ivory Coast, the company supplies the Williamsville Athletic Club (WAC), a team competing in the Ivorian Ligue 1.
- Since 2023, AB Sport has been the kit supplier of the Sudan national football team. The new kits were presented ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[4]
- In the Central African Republic, a partnership was signed in 2024 with the Central African Football Federation to outfit the national teams.[5]
Controversies
In 2019 AB Sport was accused of plagiarism by Craig Ward, a designer for Nike, regarding the design of the Mauritania national team's kits. He claimed the typography used resembled that of England national football team's jerseys during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The company denied the accusations, and the original post was later deleted by the author.[6][7]
References
- ^ "AB Sport, success story d'une PME 100% marocaine". LesEco.ma. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "AB Sport, nouvel équipementier des Mourabitounes". FFRIM (in French). 20 May 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "Mauritanie : Gianni Infantino inaugure la filiale d'AB Sport à Nouakchott". SportLe360 (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "CAN 2025 : tous les maillots, pays par pays". footpack.fr (in French). 19 January 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "Histoire des Maillots République centrafricaine". Football Kit Archive (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ Nassim El Kerf. "Le patron d'AB Sport réagit aux accusations de plagiat". Telquel (in French). Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- ^ "AB Sport, équipementier marocain, accusé de plagiat par le styliste de Nike". Le Desk. Retrieved 23 March 2025.