Salé: Kick-off of the “UNESCO Citizenship Cup”

This event forms part of the strategic partnership between UNESCO and the Morocco 2030 Foundation aimed at promoting the social legacy of major sporting events in Morocco. It is also a component of the national initiative “Sport, a driver of change in territories”, in anticipation of Morocco hosting the Africa Cup of Nations 2025.

This first stage in Salé brought together 24 teams made up of 192 girls and boys aged between 14 and 18, from various neighborhoods, around an innovative tournament combining educational citizenship workshops with football matches.

In a statement to MAP, the UNESCO Representative for the Maghreb countries, Charaf Ahmimed, said that this initiative, which falls within the Organization’s programme dedicated to the values of sport, aims to instill the principles of dialogue, respect and equality among participants from all regions of the Kingdom.

He explained that this sporting event offers a real opportunity for Moroccan youth to benefit from the momentum generated by the major international sporting competitions that the Kingdom is preparing to host, foremost among them the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as other major events in the coming years.

For his part, the Director General of the Morocco 2030 Foundation, Mouad Hajji, stated that this inclusive approach will enable young Moroccans to play an active and central role in the organization of major sporting events hosted by the Kingdom.

He specified that this event represents a first step in an ongoing process, looking ahead to future sporting milestones, allowing these young people to become key actors in the organization of upcoming football competitions in Morocco.

The founder and president of Tibu Africa, Mohamed Amine Zariat, noted that the initiative aims to offer adolescents the opportunity to take part in a range of sporting activities and workshops, while developing their technical and social skills.

He also underlined that the event seeks to allow professionally inactive youth to benefit from specialized training in sport-related professions, to extend the national atmosphere of joy surrounding the organization of CAN 2025, and to ensure the involvement of all regions of the Kingdom in this major continental event.

Based on UNESCO’s Guide on the Values of Sport, the workshops will focus on three core values: respect, inclusion and equity. A specific workshop led by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection will raise awareness among young people about eco-friendly practices and environmental commitment, another key dimension of citizenship.

The “Citizenship Match”, the central pillar of the initiative, relies on a scoring system that combines sporting results with observed behavior on the field, placing human values at the heart of sporting practice.

Following this launch in Salé, the “UNESCO Citizenship Cup” will be rolled out between December 2025 and January 2026 in six other regions and 24 provinces across the Kingdom, mobilizing more than 1,700 young people, with equal participation of girls and boys.

Editorial team/le7tv