Football: Morocco secures its place among the great nations
The royal announcement of Morocco’s candidacy for the joint organization of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal was the big surprise of the ceremony of awarding the prizes of excellence to King Mohammed VI and Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda.
Since the last hampered attempt in 2018 to organize the 2026 World Cup, Morocco had hung up its shoes and put this application aside. Today, the King puts this application back at the heart of football news, on the occasion of this ceremony organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Kigali, Rwanda. It is by thanking the people who are at the origin of the prize, in particular the presidents of FIFA and CAF, that the King took everyone by surprise by announcing the scoop, in the royal message read by the minister of National Education and Sports, Chakib Benmoussa. In any case, in this letter addressed to the audience, the King presented his commitment to Africa and football presented its commitment to Africa and football. Moreover, the Sovereign shares with Paul Kagame an unshakeable confidence in the African continent, in its youth, and in its abilities. He remained faithful to His conviction that ‘‘the future of Africa depends on its youth and only a proactive policy oriented towards this youth will channel the energy for development’’. The King said clearly that this prize is a tribute to the genius of Africa and to its dazzling youth, as well as a recognition of the choices made to put in place the conditions conducive to its expression and promotion. The awarding of this prize is an opportunity to present the royal vision of football, which is the result of a major project over a certain number of years.
The King was keen on making this sport a lever for success and sustainable human development. In addition to being a passion and the expression of creative talent, it is also a vision for the future, a long-term commitment for efficient and transparent governance, and an investment in infrastructure as much as in capital. human, underlined the King. Moreover, one understands better why, in the architecture of the government, the Department of Sports has been integrated into the Ministry of National Education in order to multiply the practice of sport and football with a view to encouraging and bringing out young talents: ‘‘We are working to root them by uniting sports with education, so as to broaden the practice of football in particular, to bring potential and support detected talents with appropriate training”, noted HM the King. Morocco has always shown solidarity by making its infrastructure and experience, particularly in football, available to all African countries wishing to make youth a lever of hope and growth. Indeed, the national teams of several African countries choose the Mohammed VI Complex for football for their match preparation retreats. Several African teams, not having stadiums meeting FIFA standards, have also chosen to play the qualifying matches at the CAN in Morocco.
Connection
The joint candidacy of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal is a first in the annals of the Football World Cup. This three-way candidacy has a good chance of succeeding. These countries have experience in this area: Spain has already organized the football World Cup in 1982, and Portugal the Euro. Morocco is not to be outdone since it has organized the Mondialito three times, the CAN (Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON) , the CHAN (African Nations Championship), and other events. If this candidacy wins the contest, it will be organized on two continents and will ensure the connection between Africa and Europe, between the North and the South of the Mediterranean. This joint candidacy will also link the African, Arab, and Euro-Mediterranean world. It will also be a rallying candidacy around the best of each nation, with the demonstration of an alliance of genius, creativity, experience and means. In this spirit, football will act as a driving force for economic and social development, and a demonstration of the values of perseverance, self-sacrifice, and surpassing oneself, as the national team did during the World Cup in Qatar.
Mohamed CHAOUI
