Prince Moulay Rachid presided Sunday evening over the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, as Senegal defeated host Morocco 1-0 after extra time to win the 35th edition of the continental tournament at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Upon arriving at the stadium, Prince Moulay Rachid reviewed a guard of honor from the Auxiliary Forces before being greeted by senior Moroccan and international sports officials, including Education and Sports Minister Mohamed Saad Berrada, Moroccan Olympic Committee President Faisal Al-Araichi, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe, and Royal Moroccan Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa.
Regional and local officials were also present, alongside FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström.
Prince Moulay Rachid then took his place in the royal stand to attend the closing ceremony of the tournament, which was hosted by Morocco from Dec. 21 to Jan. 18.
The ceremony featured artistic performances celebrating Africa’s cultural diversity, youth and unity, reflecting the spirit of cooperation and competition embodied by the Africa Cup of Nations. Actor and musician Idris Elba, of African descent, delivered a message praising Morocco’s hosting of the tournament and expressing hope and solidarity for the future of African football.
After a brief pause in the royal lounge, Prince Moulay Rachid returned to the stand to watch the final, which opened with the playing of the national anthems of Senegal and Morocco.
At the conclusion of the match, the prince joined the podium for the awards ceremony. The CAF flag was formally handed over to representatives of the next host countries — Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Individual awards were also presented, with Morocco receiving the Fair Play award, Yassine Bounou named best goalkeeper, Brahim Díaz finishing as the tournament’s top scorer, and Senegal’s Sadio Mané voted best player.
Medals were awarded to the match officials, the Moroccan team as runners-up, and Senegal as champions. Prince Moulay Rachid then presented the Africa Cup of Nations trophy to the captain of the Senegalese national team, in the presence of the presidents of FIFA and CAF.
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