The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded, on Tuesday in Kigali, Rwanda, its Award of Excellence, which crowns exceptional achievements for the year 2022, to His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame.
Thus, the President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, and the President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, presented the "2022 Award of Excellence" to the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Chakib Benmoussa.
This award was presented during a ceremony attended by the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, members of the CAF Executive Committee, presidents of the Confederation's member associations, and several football legends.
In a speech on this occasion, the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for receiving the Award of Excellence, noting that sports, and football in particular, helped Rwanda overcome the historical challenges it faced and contributed to uniting the citizens.
Mr. Kagame pointed out that the African continent has great players, highlighting that the Moroccan national team's performance at the Qatar World Cup was "a source of pride and honor for all Africans."
The Rwandan President asked for his congratulations to be conveyed to His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan people for what the national team achieved, considering the Moroccan accomplishment "important and should be a source of inspiration."
He also praised the tremendous work being done in Africa through "CAF," noting the importance of helping the continent succeed on and off the football pitch.
For his part, Mr. Gianni Infantino affirmed that His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, are "two leaders who helped change their countries and believed in the ambitions of their peoples," highlighting that "football can change many things on the African continent."
He said that what makes this event different is "that we are here to celebrate two distinguished figures who have given many things to football and changed the lives of millions of people," emphasizing that football is joy, pride, and happiness, and what "FIFA" does is prepare a favorable environment for children to play this game.
After pointing out that football is highly popular on the African continent, especially among children and girls, he highlighted that with credibility, good leadership, and desire, it is possible to achieve multiple goals, calling on everyone to unite to attain them.
For his part, CAF President Patrice Motsepe noted that this ceremony is "exceptional and historic" for football, aiming to recognize the efforts made to advance this sport and make it competitive and sustainable, praising the tremendous and outstanding work done by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and the commitment they have shown to developing football.
Mr. Motsepe said in this regard, "We are proud and boast of the historic achievement of the Moroccan national team in the Qatar World Cup, and we thank His Majesty King Mohammed VI," affirming that the Moroccan team did not only represent Morocco, but rather the 54 member states of the Confederation of African Football.
He considered that this historic performance and success provided a strong impetus to encourage and motivate all African nations, noting that the Moroccan team "showed us that an African team can win the World Cup."
He stressed the need to establish partnerships across the 54 African countries to develop and succeed in football on the African continent, highlighting that Africa is "proud of its history and its ability to produce great players, some of whom have been able to achieve spectacular success in Europe and in other clubs."
The ceremony featured the screening of a short film on Morocco's epic journey at the Qatar World Cup and the major role played by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in advancing national football. The film included clips and photos of the national team across its various categories, alongside other clips of some national clubs.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI stated that Morocco is entering a new phase focused on strengthening national sovereignty, supporting economic recovery, and implementing the New Development Model. He also called on the government and Parliament to fully assume their responsibilities.
The United Nations praised His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s forward-looking vision for future generations, highlighting the importance of collective action to build a human-centered and sustainable development model. It also noted that this vision has become even more relevant in light of the challenges exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly social inequalities and the spread of misinformation.
The Council of the League of Arab States praised the efforts of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, to protect Al-Quds Al-Sharif and support the resilience of the Palestinian people. It also highlighted the fieldwork of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency in preserving the city’s Arab and Islamic identity.
