The Africa Cup of Nations final, which will pit Senegal and Morocco against each other on Sunday in Rabat, will above all be a “celebration of fraternity” between the two peoples, the Senegalese Foreign Ministry emphasized on Saturday.
“This sporting encounter will above all be an occasion to celebrate the fraternity between two peoples united by deep historical, economic, human and spiritual ties,” the ministry stated in a press release, highlighting “the excellence of the age-old relations of friendship and solidarity between Senegal and Morocco.”
In this spirit of trust and partnership, the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that “true to this centuries-old friendship, the Kingdom of Morocco has, since the start of the Africa Cup of Nations, demonstrated exemplary cooperation.”
“The Senegalese authorities are satisfied with the consistency of this fraternal attitude and thank the Moroccan government for it,” the statement said, assuring that relations between the two countries, “based on mutual respect and a shared vision of African and international issues, have steadily strengthened over the decades.”
Senegal considers sport, and football in particular, as a powerful vehicle for bringing peoples closer together and fostering cohesion, the ministry continued, adding that this final “should therefore be experienced as a celebration of African talent, continental unity, and the strong fraternity between the Senegalese and Moroccan peoples, beyond any circumstantial considerations.”
In this regard, the ministry called on “all stakeholders, supporters and public opinion to uphold a spirit of responsibility, respect and fair play, in keeping with the strength of Senegalese-Moroccan relations and to preserve the image of African football on the international stage.”