Rabat – Morocco’s U-17 national football team returned home this Saturday after an impressive performance at the 2022 Arab Cup in Algeria.
Upon landing in Morocco, the national youth team was welcomed by the country’s Minister of National Education, Primary Education, and Sports, Chakib Benmoussa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Faouzi Lekjaa, as well as other senior officials, the FRMF said in a Facebook post.
Benmoussa said he was proud to welcome the team back home, adding that he was confident all Moroccans share his sentiment of pride given the team’s stellar performance at the U17 Arab Cup despite being exposed to provocations and abuse from Algerian fans.
For his part, Fouzi Lekjaa underscored that the national junior football team lived up to their duty of representing Morocco in the Arab Cup. Even as they were exposed to a hostile atmosphere, he added, the team was fairly close to clinching the gold medal.
Lekjaa further said that the FRMF will continue to support the national junior football team.
The provocations that both the Moroccan Education Minister and the FRMF president were referring to relate to acts of aggression against the Moroccan youth team by both the Algerian U17 team and Algerian fans during the Arab Cup final on Thursday.
The FRMF condemned both the Algerian team and fans who invaded the pitch after Thursday’s match, calling their acts “savagery and hooliganism.”
Earlier today, the Arab Football Associations (UAFA) issued a statement detailing fines for both the Algerian and Moroccan teams, and suspending an Algerian player for attacking the Moroccan goalkeeper.
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