The trophy “CAF President’s Outstanding Achievement Award” was presented by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe to the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Chakib Benmoussa.
The award ceremony was attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, members of the CAF Executive Committee, Presidents of CAF Member Associations and soccer legends.
On this occasion, Rwandan President Paul Kagame expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for receiving the CAF Excellence Award 2022, stating that sport in general and soccer in particular have helped Rwanda overcome the historical challenges the country has faced and have contributed to unifying the people.
Kagame affirmed that the African continent has great footballers, noting that the performance of the Moroccan national team at the Qatar World Cup was “a source of pride and honor for all Africans.”
The Rwandan president called to convey his congratulations to HM the King for this “important” achievement of the Moroccan team “which should be a source of inspiration”.
For his part, Infantino stressed that “we are here to celebrate two exceptional personalities who have given so much to soccer and have changed the lives of millions of people,” noting that soccer represents joy, pride and happiness, and that FIFA is committed to providing children with the right environment to practice it.
Infantino also said that HM King Mohammed VI and Rwandan President Paul Kagame are two heads of state “who have contributed to change in their countries and believed in the ambitions of their people, and that soccer can change many things on the African continent”.
For his part, the CAF President said that this exceptional and historic ceremony for soccer is a recognition of the efforts made to promote the sport and strengthen its competitiveness and sustainability, praising, in this regard, the tremendous work done by HM King Mohammed VI and Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the commitment they have shown.
“We are proud of the historic achievement of the Moroccan team in the Qatar-2022 World Cup and we thank HM King Mohammed VI,” added Motsepe, affirming that the Atlas Lions were not only representing Morocco, but also the 54 African countries.
The ceremony was marked by the screening of a video recounting the epic of the Atlas Lions in the Qatar-2022 World Cup and highlighting the leading role of HM King Mohammed VI in the promotion and development of national soccer.
