King Mohammed VI honours Moroccan national team players and coaching staff
His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco on December 21, 2022, met the Moroccan national football team following their successful campaign at the just-concluded 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
According to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, King Mohammed VI nominated the the team with royal decorations for their achievement. Also present during the ceremony were relatives of the national team players.
The Moroccan team made history by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals stage of the tournament. In their way to the semis the Atlas Lions beat the likes of Canada, Belgium, Spain and Portugal before losing to France in the semi final.
Buoyed by superstars such as Hakim Ziyech, who plays for Chelsea, and Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint Germaine, Morocco eventually finished fourth after losing the third-place play-off match to Croatia on the penultimate day of the month-long tournament.
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The team arrived in Casablanca to a heroic welcome before attending a special ceremony held at the King’s Throne Hall of the Royal Palace in Rabat.
According to Moroccan media, the national team was awarded the highest honor, The Order of the Throne, by King Mohammed VI who was in the company of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid.
All 26 players who had been drafted to play for the national team in the 2022 World Cup arrived at the Palace in the company of their mothers. Their coaches were the first to be awarded before the individual team players received their honours.
The Moroccan King’s gesture for the team’s achievement attracted various reactions on social media.
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“When will Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia wake up from sleep? Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana reaching the quarter finals of the World Cup, and here is Morocco surpassing them and achieving the miracle of miracles and reaching the round of four in the World Cup,” said Ahdal Madina.
“Royal, popular, spherical cohesion. The King embraces the Atlas Lions, the King, Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid and the people on a national holiday, side by side. A scene you only see in Morocco,” said Haj 67069467.
However, some wondered why the medical staff and assistants weren’t honoured at the same event and why some of the players’ mothers were absent at the event.
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