Football: Morocco’s Atlas Lions crowned best African team

Morocco’s Atlas Lions was crowned best African national football team by the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC).

The award was presented to the Atlas lions in Cairo on Saturday evening at the annual Gala of the AASC which awarded its prizes for the year 2023.

The Atlas Lions were rewarded for their historic achievement at the Qatar-2022 World Cup, as they became the first team from the continent to reach the quarter finals of a World Cup tournament.

The prestigious award was handed over to Hamza El Hajoui, first vice-president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, by Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, Ashraf Sobhy.

In a statement to MAP, El Hajoui commended the AASC award to Morocco, noting that it was a “richly deserved” title, the Atlas Lions having represented the whole of Africa with dignity at the Qatar World Cup.

The national team’s unprecedented achievement at this global sporting event was the result of the leadership and far-sighted policy of King Mohammed VI in various fields, including sport, he said.

El Hajoui also stressed the importance of this award, given the Kingdom’s prominent position on the continental stage.

The AASC African Sports Awards was part of the events having marked the AASC General Assembly held in Cairo November 23-26. The General Assembly, which brought together 54 African Sports confederations, also featured the 2nd International Sports Anti-Corruption Conference, the International African Sports Exhibition, and the Electoral General Assembly.

The Association of African Sports Confederations seeks to promote understanding, cooperation and mutual assistance among African sports confederations; ensure affirmation of African sport at world level; encourage exchange of experience at the level of administrative and technical organization; and combat racial discrimination in sports.