Message from HM the King on the occasion of the presentation in Kigali of the CAF Excellence Award for the year 2022
14 mars 2023
Kigali, 03/14/2023- His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a Message on the occasion of the presentation of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Excellence Award for the year 2022 “CAF President’s Outstanding Achievement Award-2022” awarded to the Sovereign on Tuesday in Kigali, Rwanda.
Here is the full text of the Royal Message, which was read by the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Mr. Chakib Benmoussa.
“Praise be to God, Prayer and Greetings on the Prophet, His family and His companions.
My Dear Brother Paul KAGAME, President of the Republic of Rwanda,
Mr President of the International Federation of Association Football,
Mr President of the Confederation of African Football,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like, first of all, to tell you My satisfaction at receiving this Award of Excellence from the Confederation of African Football, for the year 2022. It is with pleasure that I accept it.
I would like to welcome the presence of Mr. Gianni INFANTINO, President of the International Federation of Association Football and pay tribute to his vigorous commitment to African football.
I would also like to thank the President of the African Football Confederation, Mr. Patrice MOTSEPE, for his leadership and his action for the influence of African football and the resurgence of the credibility of its bodies.
I share with My Brother, President Paul KAGAME – who is also honored today by the Confederation of African Football – an unshakeable confidence in our African continent, in its young people and in its abilities. We are working on it, without ever being satisfied with our wishes, nor resting on our achievements.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I remain faithful to the conviction that I expressed in My Speech on the occasion of the 29th Summit of the African Union, in 2017: “the future of Africa depends on its youth“and alone”a proactive youth-oriented policy will channel energy for development“.
Also, the prize awarded to Me today is, first and foremost, a tribute to the genius of Africa and its dazzling youth. It represents, in My eyes, a recognition of the choices I made as My own, to put in place the conditions conducive to its expression and promotion. Because, beyond sport, football is the result of a construction over time.
In my country – the Kingdom of Morocco, I wanted to make football a lever for success and sustainable human development. In addition to being a passion and the expression of creative talent, football is a vision for the future, a long-term commitment, efficient and transparent governance, and an investment in infrastructure as much as in human capital..
By honoring Africa at the last World Cup in Qatar, Moroccan football has also honored these values of perseverance, self-sacrifice and surpassing oneself. We are working to root them by uniting sport with education, so as to broaden the practice of football in particular, to bring out potential and support detected talents with appropriate training.
Beyond the verb, the Kingdom of Morocco has, on many occasions, proven by the acts that its means, its infrastructures and its experience, in particular in football, are at the disposal of all the brotherly African countries wishing, too, to make young people a lever of hope and growth.
Because, the ambition that I have for My country, is consubstantial with the ambition that I have for the African Continent.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In this spirit, I am announcing before your assembly that the Kingdom of Morocco has decided, with Spain and Portugal, to present a joint candidacy to host the 2030 World Cup.
Unprecedented in the history of football, this common candidacy will be that of the junction: between Africa and Europe, between the north and the south of the Mediterranean, and between the African, Arab and Euro-Mediterranean worlds. It will also be a rallying bid around the best on both sides, and the demonstration of an alliance of genius, creativity, experience and resources.
Wassalamou alaikoum warahmatoullahi wabarakatouh”.