By James Copnall BBC Sport, Rabat

Tangier want to discover more players like Sektioui for Porto

Portuguese giants FC Porto have signed a financial and sporting deal with a Moroccan side, Ittihad Tangier.

The second division side say they will scout for Moroccan players, who could eventually move to FC Porto.

In turn the European club will help Ittihad develop its facilities and coaching, and provide modern equipment.

FC Porto President, Jorge Nino Pinto Da Costa, also opened up a building for supporters of his side, the Case di FC Porto or FC Porto house in Tangiers.

It is very rare for a Moroccan club to have such an agreement with a European team.

"We have to move forward to professionalism on the field, and off the field too," says Hassan Boutabsil, the head of sports at the Moroccan TV station 2M.

"In Senegal and in many other countries in Africa they have links with European clubs and they have academies.

"These academies are doing a very good job.

"We don't have this vision here? Why don't we have contracts with big clubs in Europe? It's because people here don't have vision!"

There is a big debate in Moroccan football at the moment about the poor state of the game, with the national team disappointing at the African Cup of Nations in Ghana last month.

The army team FAR Rabat also crashed out of the Champions League to a side from Cape Verde so clubs are casting around for ways to improve.

Ittihad Tangier are hoping to steal a march on their rivals with this deal.

FC Porto have a Moroccan star already, the international winger Tarik Sektioui, who has already scored five goals this season for the club.

Porto will be hoping many Moroccan talents follow in his footsteps.