By: Napoleon Ato Kittoe
His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, received on Tuesday in the Throne Room at the Royal Palace in Rabat, the members of the National soccer Team, after their brilliant performance in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
This audience reflects the high solicitude of His Majesty the King for young people and the special interest that the Sovereign grants to the sports sector in general and soccer in particular.
It follows the historic and unprecedented achievement made by the National Team which reached the semi-finals, the first and most resounding success of its kind of Moroccan, Arab and African soccer, during the finals of this global sporting event.
During this audience, the Sovereign decorated president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lakjaâ, the coach of the National Team, Walid Regragui, and the players of the national team, who were accompanied by their mothers, with Royal Wissams.
HM the King decorated with the Al Arch Wissam of 2nd class (Commander), Fouzi Lakjaâ and Walid Regragui.
The Sovereign awarded the Al Arch Wissam of 3rd class (Officer) to the players of the national squad: Ghanem Saïss, Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Sofyan Amrabat, Nayef Aguerd (graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy), Hakim Ziyech, and Azzedine Ounahi (graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy).
HM the King decorated with the same Wissam Abderrazak Hamdallah, Anass Zaroury, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Mounir El Kajoui, Ilias Chair, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Selim Amallah, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Sofiane Boufal, Jawad El-Yamiq, Youssef En-Nesyri (graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy), Achraf Dari, Walid Cheddira, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy), Bilel El Khanouss, Badr Benoun, Yahia Attiat-Allah El Idrissi and Yahya Jabrane.
HM the King has also given His High Instructions for the awarding of Royal decorations to the entire technical and medical staff of the national team in recognition of the exceptional work done.
Thereafter, HM the King, may God assist Him, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, posed for a souvenir photo with the members of the national team and the mothers of the players present.
On this occasion, the members of the national team presented HM the King with souvenirs as an expression of their gratitude to the Sovereign for His support throughout this world competition.
The reception by HM the King, may God assist Him, of the players accompanied by their mothers is a tribute to these Moroccan women who have instilled in their children the values of patriotism, sacrifice and national belonging. It is also an expression of the place that the Sovereign grants to the Moroccan woman as a pillar of the family and society in general.
The reception that the king allocated to the players, who were accompanied by their mothers, is considered a tribute to these Moroccan women who were keen to teach their children the principles of patriotism, sacrifice and belonging to the homeland.
This reception reflects the high care that the King has always surrounded the youth with, and the special attention he gives to the sports sector in general and football in particular. It follows the historic and unprecedented achievement of the national team, which managed to reach the semi-finals, in the first and most splendid brilliance of its kind for Moroccan, Arab and African football in the finals of this global sporting event.
By ranking 4th in the 2022 World Cup, the Altas Lions achieved a historic performance because it is unprecedented in the annals of football, for a North African, African, Arab and Muslim country.
Morocco will have left its mark on this competition, arousing enthusiasm and a rare fervor throughout the world, which has transcended borders, spiritualities and geostrategic differences.
The Altas Lions shone by showing the universal values that make the strength of the Moroccan model, under the far-sighted Leadership of His Majesty the King, namely audacity, strength of conviction, discipline, solidarity and altruism, in addition to respect for others and family values.
This universal model, thus carried by the National Eleven, as a distinctive mark of the Kingdom in the concert of Nations, has been repeatedly highlighted through the excitement and celebrations aroused by Morocco’s victories in this Global, from Tel Aviv, to Gaza, from Cairo to Paris, via New York, Paris or even Dakar and Khartoum.
The famous American newspaper “New York Time” brilliantly pointed out that “whatever the winner of the World Cup, this World Cup will have been that of Morocco”.
The feat of the Atlas Lions has collectively taken a psychological step forward for African, Arab and Muslim countries, and more broadly, for the supposedly small nations that it is permissible to dream of being part of the big leagues.
The feat of the Atlas Lions consecrates Morocco as a historically pioneering country that proudly bears the colors of the Maghreb, Africa and the Arab-Muslim world.
The Atlas Lions have become a source of pride for Moroccans, Arabs and Africans, who continue to express their satisfaction with the achievements of the Moroccan selection, having challenged several world football powers, and given the hope to countries previously marginalized in the world of football, to believe in victory and create surprise.
The Atlas Lions, with their achievements, have marked the history of football and have pushed several countries, as well as individuals from diverse fields, to believe in the potential of Morocco and Moroccans.
The fighting spirit of the Moroccan players, several of whom insisted on replaying in the semi and quarter-finals, despite their injuries and the wear and tear caused by the series of matches, aroused interest in the very origin of the designation “Lions of the Atlas” and restored the image of Moroccan football, internationally, with the ancestral values anchored in Moroccan society (faith, patience, perseverance, parental blessing, competitiveness, solidarity, family spirit…).
The career of the national football team, having made everything related to the Kingdom of Morocco shine, has generated an unprecedented interest in Moroccan culture, historical heritage, the Moroccan dialect (to which nationals of several countries have been initiated in Qatar), but also for the economic and tourist potential, the investment prospects and the infrastructures, in particular football … which has thus propelled Morocco to the top of the coveted countries in different fields.
The remarkable performances of the players of the national team, praised unanimously, and especially by major international clubs, have shed light on the skills of the national staff and the members of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, now considered by citizens from African countries, as an example to follow and a school in its own right, giving hope to African youth to shine at international football events.
The large network of local land, the result of a proactive policy driven for several years by His Majesty the King, is an investment in young talent throughout Morocco. These pitches make it easier for young people and neighborhood clubs to access structures that meet standards.
The members of the National Team had returned to the Kingdom late Tuesday afternoon. The inhabitants of Rabat, Salé and other cities of the Kingdom have given them a warm welcome. Thus, since their arrival at the Rabat-Salé airport, and throughout their route, the Atlas Lions were given a standing ovation by a public that came in large numbers to cheer them and salute their courage and fighting spirit.
Tens of thousands of Moroccans thronged the capital on Tuesday to welcome home their national football team, the first Arab and African squad ever to reach the semi-final of a World Cup.
The team and their coach Walid Regragui waved from an open-topped bus as they were driven from the airport and around central Rabat, accompanied by dozens of police cars and motorbikes with flashing lights and wailing sirens.
Many supporters, clad in the team’s kits and waving red flags, had waited hours to see their heroes.
Members of the national football team, after their outstanding performance in the FIFA World Cup – Qatar 2022, have also been received by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and Prince Moulay Rachid, at the Royal Palce, where His Majesty.
This reception reflects the high care that the King has always surrounded the youth with, and the special attention he gives to the sports sector in general and football in particular.
It follows the historic and unprecedented achievement of the national team, which managed to reach the semi-finals, in the first and most splendid brilliance of its kind for Moroccan, Arab and African football in the finals of this global sporting event.
During this ceremony, the king decorated the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fawzi Lakjaa, the national team coach, Walid Regragui, and the players who were accompanied by their mothers with royal decorations.
