RABAT: The Moroccan team were greeted by thousands of fans in Rabat on Wednesday for a parade to celebrate their historic victory in the Under-20 World Cup last week.
Morocco became the first Arab country to win the tournament with a 2-0 triumph over favorites Argentina in Sunday’s final in Chilean capital Santiago.
Before the parade, Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan presided over a ceremony in honor of the team at the royal palace.
The players were then driven through the streets of Rabat on an open-top bus, to the delight of jubilant supporters and to the sound of vuvuzelas.
“It’s a great achievement, they filled us with joy and waved our country’s flag high,” Youssef, a 34-year-old salesman, told AFP.
Yassir Zabiri, who plays for Famalicao in Portugal, scored twice in the final to end the tournament as the joint top-scorer with five goals.
“The future of our football is in good hands. Well done guys, U20 world champions,” Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi, who helped the senior team reach the 2022 World Cup semifinals, posted on social media.
Morocco will host the Africa Cup of Nations later this year and will be co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
Morocco’s Under-20 World Cup winners welcomed home by large crowds
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Morocco’s Under-20 World Cup winners welcomed home by large crowds
- Morocco became the first Arab country to win the tournament
- The players were driven through the streets of Rabat on an open-top bus
Pakistan captain rules out ‘major’ squad changes before T20 World Cup 2026
- T20 World Cup will take place in India in February, with Pakistan to play its matches in Sri Lanka
- Pakistan have recorded back-to-back T20I series victories over Sri Lanka, South Africa this year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha set his sights on winning the T20 World Cup 2026, ruling out any “major changes” to the squad before the megaevent next year.
The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup will commence on Feb. 7 next year in India. Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka as per a deal brokered by the ICC that allows India and Pakistan to play each other at neutral venues.
Pakistan have tried left-arm pacer Salman Mirza, brought back former captain Babar Azam to the T20I squad and tried fast bowler Naseem Shah and played several all-rounders in the squad this year, including Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf.
“I think our roles are defined and we need to give a chance in the next six games with consistency to this playing XI and those roles, so that we can head to the World Cup with confidence,” Agha said in a podcast with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“I don’t think there will be any major changes because we were keeping this World Cup in mind since the last six to seven months in the way we were practicing or selecting the players for the team,” he added.
Pakistan will next play a three-match T20I away series against Sri Lanka before they head to the T20 World Cup.
The South Asian country has encountered success in white-ball matches recently, winning a tri-nation series tournament against Afghanistan and the UAE in September.
Agha also led his team to the final of the Asia Cup later the same month which they lost to India. However, he led the Green Shirts to wins against Sri Lanka and South Africa in the T20I series against both countries at home later.
