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The Moroccan consulate in Brussels threw a special event on Thursday to give a shout-out to Ali Maamar and Anas Tajaouart, the two Morocco U20 internationals who made history by winning the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
The event was a pretty big deal. U-20 coach Mohamed Ouahbi was there with some of the young players from RSC Anderlecht, the team where Maamar & Tajaouart play professionally.
Additionally, much of the Moroccan community in Belgium all turned up to celebrate the players’ incredible journey, their graft, and the pride they bring to young Moroccan folks back home and overseas.
What drives them, where it all came from
The Consul General of Morocco in Belgium, Hassan Touri, began the event with remarks about how proud he is of the champions, stating that he is “very proud” of them and that “they carried the Moroccan flag high and proud” citing that their accomplishment is something that every “single Moroccan can inspire from.”
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi then took the opportunity to speak, sharing inspirational and kind words for all the young people in the room
“Football is, at the end of the day, a place where you learn about passion, hard work and sticking at it. Whether it’s on the pitch or in school or just in everyday life you’ve got to keep putting in the graft, keep the faith and always stay passionate.”
Ali Maamar and Anas Tajaouart also took a moment to share some reflections. They thanked everyone for their support and took some time to reflect on how they got to where they are today, saying:
“There’s no substitute for hard work, for making sacrifices and grunting your way through the tough times to reach the good times. Every single day matters, whether it’s football or just at school.”
Morocco made history by being crowned the U-20 World Cup Champions; a monumental feat accomplished by the entire group together, showing that, yet again, the team exemplifies incredible team defence, self-belief and team unity.
The evening served as a reminder to the Moroccan community as a whole — especially all of the young people who were present — that hard work and believing in yourself and others can lead to success.
