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FIFA World Cup: George Finidi not surprised by Morocco’s historic feat in Qatar
By Wale Mustapha
George Finidi says that Morocco’s remarkable success at the 2022 FIFA World Cup did not come as an accident but through hard work, patience and concerted efforts to improve the standards of the game at all levels in the country.
The Atlas Lions reflected the domestic successes with their performance in Qatar by becoming the first Africa country to ever reach the semifinal of FIFA World Cup – same event the Super Eagles could not qualify for.
And the Enyimba head coach who hailed the developmental initiative in Moroccoan football believes that their present success was a reward for their long term investment in youth and women’s programmes just as he urges Nigerian football officials to imitate the pattern used by Morocco.
“Morocco’s performance is due to long term investment in youth programme that they’re reaping now. It doesn’t just come overnight,” the ex-international told Brilla FM.
“If you look at Morocco’s performance in football in the past five to seven years, one does not need a soothsayer to know that the feats were not accidental. We can follow their model and ensure the right things are done to get our football back and running.
“We must invest in youth programmes and also ensure we take it to the grassroots and be sincere about it. Our youth teams are meant to be developmental and nursery for senior national teams if we’ll coordinated. We can do it just like Morocco did,” he said.
Morocco’s footballing success at club levels have seen both Wydad Athletic Club, Casablanca winning two of the last six CAF Champions League ( 2017 & 2021-22) and were finalists once during the 2018-19 season under the same periods.
Also in the CAF Confederation Cup, two of Moroccan clubs, Raja Casablanca and RS Berkane have made the tourney their birth rights having won it four of the last five campaigns between 2018 and last season. The only time they didn’t win was in 2018-19, and RS Berkane were the losing finalist.
Talking about Women’s football in Africa, the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco created a massive upset beating the Super Falcons of Nigeria in the semi-final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations they hosted in July this year while ASFAR women side are the current winners of the CAF Women’s Champions League after defeating reigning Champions, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the final played last month.
A string of successes Nigerian national team and clubs have also failed to live up to the billings on the continent as their West African’s performances at the CAF competitions are nothing to write home about.
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