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His Majesty King Mohammed VI affirmed, on Tuesday, that the 2022 Award of Excellence granted to His Majesty by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), "is, first and foremost, a tribute to the genius of Africa and its brilliant youth."
His Majesty the King said, in a message on the occasion of the presentation of the award, which was read by the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Chakib Benmoussa, "I remain committed to the conviction I expressed in my speech at the 29th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in 2017, in which I stressed that 'the future of Africa depends on its youth' and that pursuing a proactive policy oriented towards the youth would channel energies into development. This award granted to me today is, first and foremost, a tribute to the genius of Africa and its brilliant youth."
His Majesty the King highlighted that this award "represents, for me, a recognition of the choices I have made to provide the conditions to bring out this genius and promote it. This is because football is not just a sport, but rather the fruit of continuous construction and work."
His Majesty the King stressed His constant keenness to make football in the Kingdom of Morocco a pillar of success and a lever for sustainable human development.
His Majesty said that what unites Him with his brother President Paul Kagame, who is also being celebrated by the Confederation of African Football today, "is our firm belief in our African continent, and in its youth and capabilities. This is what motivates us to work continuously, with unflagging enthusiasm, without resting on the gains we have achieved."
His Majesty also took the opportunity to commend Mr. Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, for his strong commitment to African football, and to express his thanks to the President of the Confederation of African Football, Mr. Patrice Motsepe, for his leading role and efforts to enhance the outreach of African football and restore credibility to its decision-making bodies.
His Majesty added, "While it is a game that captures the hearts of millions, and a talent that reflects creative energy, it is also based on a forward-looking vision, a long-term commitment, governance grounded in efficiency and transparency, and investment in infrastructure and human capital."
His Majesty the King recalled, in this regard, that "just as Moroccan football honored the African continent during the recent World Cup in Qatar, it also elevated the human values of perseverance, selflessness, and pushing one's abilities to the limit. These are the values we have been keen to instill by integrating sport into education, in our quest to broaden the base of football practice in particular, unleash potential, and support discovered talents with appropriate training and qualification."
His Majesty the King highlighted that the Kingdom of Morocco "has proven, on many occasions and through concrete action, that it places its resources, infrastructure, and experience, particularly in the field of football, at the disposal of all brotherly African countries wishing, in turn, to make their youth a pillar of hope and growth, because my ambition for my country is fundamentally inseparable from my ambition for the African continent."
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.
