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Morocco’s U17 Soccer Team Hailed as Heroes After Arab Cup Performance
Sunday 11 September 2022, by
The Lion Cubs of the Atlas were warmly welcomed on Saturday in Casablanca, after having worthily represented Morocco at the Arab Under-17 Cup in Algeria. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) wanted to thank them for their excellent performance in this regional competition.
The Lion Cubs of the Atlas were welcomed at Mohammed V International Airport by Chakib Benmoussa, Minister of National Education, Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and members of the federal office. The minister congratulated the Moroccan delegation for the level reached during this competition, and especially for "the spirit of fair play shown by the Moroccan players despite the provocations they suffered".
For his part, Fouzi Lekjaa thanked the players for having worthily represented Morocco by reaching the final. He reiterated the FRMF’s commitment to provide them with all possible means to continue their training in a professional manner.
As for Said Chiba, coach of the under-17 national team, he expressed all his pride and gratitude to his protégés, who were brilliant in the final, showing great professionalism and very good concentration despite the circumstances. "The players remained focused during this final played in a very tense atmosphere," he told MAP. He regretted the acts of violence that were recorded at the end of the match. "Our qualification for the final is a performance to be commended. The players are still young and have a bright future ahead of them," he said.
For Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, the captain of the U17 national team, even if the victory was not Moroccan, his teammates gave their all and at the same time, gained more experience. "I am happy with the support of the Moroccan public. We will make more efforts in the future to be at the level of their aspirations," he added.
The Moroccan goalkeeper, Taha Belghazil, dedicated the award for best goalkeeper of the tournament to the whole team, stressing that "this award crowns a collective work of the group". Before qualifying for the final, Morocco finished second in the group stage, defeated Egypt (2-0) in the quarter-finals before winning against Yemen (2-0) in the semi-finals. In the final, the Atlas Lions lost to the Fennecs in a penalty shootout.