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King Mohammed VI congratulated Morocco’s U-23 national football team for winning the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023.
The Atlas Lions won the final game against Egypt 2-1 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, securing a well-deserved victory. This marks the first time that the Atlas Lions win the competition.
In a message to the team, the King expressed joy and pride for their victory — stressing that the win confirms the “strong presence of national football teams and clubs at continental and international levels.”
For the monarch, the victory “pays tribute to the efforts of all those who contributed to the African feat, in particular the players, coaches, technical, medical, and administrative staff.”
The King also congratulated the Atlas Lions for qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games of Paris, calling on all members of the national team to “maintain the same spirit of perseverance and seriousness in the forthcoming competitions.”
The AFCON win comes on the heels of unforgettable memories from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Morocco became the first Arab and African team to qualify for the semi-finals of the global tournament.
U23 head coach Issame Charai expressed pride over the Atlas Lions’ concentration, stressing that the competition wasn’t easy.
“We spent a month together during which I asked the players daily for work, discipline and concentration and they did it,” he said.
Commenting on Saturday’s game, the coach emphasized that the technical team prepared the players mentally to control their emotions during the match.
“We knew that the Egyptian team was tough,” he said.
