Rabat - The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, has lauded Morocco's World Cup performances and called on other African countries to learn from the North African kingdom.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday in Johannesburg, Motsepe argued that Morocco's historic run at the Qatar World Cup was a logical result of the colossal investments the country has injected in advancing its football.
He added that other African countries could achieve the same success when “governments and their football associations work hand-in-hand to develop the game.”
Morocco has “opened the door and made us proud,” the CAF president said, urging the rest of the continent to get inspiration from Moroccan football. Morocco’s success in Qatar was “not by coincidence,” he said, adding: “Many African countries should learn from Morocco and be inspired by their investments.”
With Morocco having lifted the curse of the quarter-finals that had long hovered over African teams at the World Cup, Motsepe said he is now confident that an African team can do as well as Morocco in 2026 or even win the global tournament.
The CAF chief's comments come after Morocco's Atlas Lions defied all odds at the Qatar World Cup, knocking out several high-ranked teams and becoming the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals.
The Moroccan Lions received a hero homecoming celebration when they came back from Qatar on Tuesday.
Upon the team's arrival in Rabat, thousands of fans lined the capital's streets to welcome their national heroes.
King Mohamed VI also hosted the national team and decorated them with royal wissams.
The King also decorated head coach Walid Regragui and the head of Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa.
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