For football lovers around the globe, and especially in Africa, Morocco’s commendable football exploits at the just concluded Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Qatar has since turned into a factor of inspiration for the low developed countries, mainly on the African continent and the Arab world.
Recollecting what I had heard from different authoritative football analysts and commentators, I am awakened to the fact that the preexisting performance record for an African team at the game’s most prestigious tournament was a place at the quarterfinals. With Morocco reaching the semi final and resultantly securing a place among the World’s finest, the granduer is understandable for the black world.
Some naysayers have ,ironically, tried to detach Moroccan from Africa but to this, I shouldn’t have time to waste responding for they are on the African continent and qualified as Africans for the tournament.
One most important lesson to draw from their performance is the spirit of Pan-Africanism that I have seen thriving throughout the tile period of the tournament.
This is what has found me drawing a linkage between President Museveni and the Morocco national team. President Museveni has over the years set himself a part as an astute campaigner of a united front for Africans to collectively work on solutions to their problems. His conviction has been that if over 1.5 billion people come together to work on common issues, there would be a sure capacity for exploring a lot of untapped potential, thereby eliminating bottlenecks that have stunted continental progress for centuries.
Yet the events coincided with Morocco’s impromptu visit to State House Entebbe at the time their foot ball team were done wonders in Qatar.
Museveni, on December, 6th received a special message from the King of Morocco His Majesty Mohammed VI seeking support to the North African country to host the 2025 African Nations Cup. The message was delivered to the president at State House Entebbe by the Special Envoy of the Moroccan King who is also the Minister of Culture and Youth, Mehdi Ben Said.
“ I am here to deliver a special message from the King of Morocco. I thank you very much for receiving us and the opportunity to know here,” he said.
Museveni welcomed the special envoy and his entourage to Uganda and pledged to support any sporting event Morocco wishes to host as long as it does not collide with the interests of the East African countries.
In a tweet later that day, Museveni said he is open to supporting Morocco’s bid.
“Being the first country to approach us, I will support them on condition that it doesn’t collide with the interests of the East African states,” Museveni tweeted after the meeting.
Morocco is bidding to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after the continental football body, CAF withdrew the organization of the forthcoming tournament from Guinea because the country’s “existing infrastructure and equipment are not sufficiently equipped.”
The visit further underlined my President’s determination to stay true to the principle of federations while also confirming to be a man of his word. By assuring his visitors of his backing regardless of who else comes after them, Museveni was just proving what he has been known for – a dependable leader. His loyalty to Morocvo is, however assured only for as long no single East African Community member tables a bid for the same AFCON 2025.
This, further indicates that despite being a true pan African crusader, he is always duty bound to the interests of the EAC for which he has been variously called ” godfather. ”
The Writer is a Lawyer and the Deputy RDC for Amolatar District
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