The performance of the "Atlas Lions" serves as a diplomatic lever for the Kingdom of Morocco.
Tawfiq Al-Sanhaji, the sports analyst, provided an in-depth and comprehensive reading of the upward trajectory that Moroccan football is experiencing, highlighting its dimensions that have transcended the green rectangle to become a key tool of the Kingdom's "soft power."
Al-Sanhaji, who was a guest on the "Hespress Debate" program, stated that Morocco is working strongly and thoughtfully to invest in sports as a soft power to promote the Kingdom on a global scale. He considered that this approach has yielded very positive results thanks to consecutive achievements, pointing out that winning the honor of hosting the 2030 World Cup was not an easy matter, but rather a culmination of a dream that has haunted Morocco and the Arab and African countries since the Kingdom submitted its first bid in 1988 to host the 1994 World Cup.
The sports analyst also praised the pivotal role played by Fouzi Lekjaa since he took over the presidency of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and his entry into the executive office of the African Football Confederation (CAF) in 2017. He explained that Morocco has provided unprecedented support to Africa over the past 12 years by hosting major events, the most notable of which was the impressive organization of the recent Africa Cup of Nations.
The same speaker clarified that the Moroccan national team has become a formidable force in the global football equation, noting that top coaches in the world, such as Scaloni, the coach of Argentina, Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, Deschamps, the coach of France, and De la Fuente, the coach of Spain, now classify Morocco among the strong contenders.
Al-Sanhaji cited Carlo Ancelotti's statement before the friendly match against Brazil that his team would face the African champion and the fourth in the world, considering it the toughest match, which reflects the level of respect that the "Atlas Lions" have come to command.
The analyst continued that Moroccan players, such as Achraf Hakimi and Ibrahim Diaz, have become stars who compete on equal footing with the brightest global names in the UEFA Champions League, completely eliminating the intimidation of playing against major teams.