Rif mountain football tournament

Celebrating its 15th year, RifCom hosted the Rif mountain football tournament last weekend in the remote, rural village of Tanaquob, near Chefchaouen, Morocco.
This year featured 16 teams of under-14 boys and girls from local communities with over 160 children taking part.
“It was a day of sports, community, educational activities about local conservation and Barbary macaques, and the Dental Mavericks carried out 160 dental check-ups,” said a statement from RifCom.
The players all received football kits, football boots, reusable water bottles, tooth brushes and tooth paste ensuring they were well prepared for the day ahead.
“The tournament day was packed with excitement, starting with a warm welcome ceremony and energetic warm-up exercises led by the Red Crescent. The competition was fierce yet friendly, with the teams being evenly split into four groups to make two boys and two girls mini leagues,” said the statement.
“The intensity of the games was palpable, leading to dramatic penalties in both finals.”
“The Wlad Ben Ayad team emerged victorious in the girls’ final which ended in penalties, whilst the boys’ final saw the Dewar Elhomar team triumph in a nail-biting sudden-death shootout after a last-minute goal tied the game.”
Victorious teams celebrated as if they had won the Champions League final, and their infectious enthusiasm spread to everyone around.”
The success of RifCom’s initiatives, including this tournament, could not be realised without the dedication of their volunteers and the support of their sponsors. To this they thanked them and said, “An enormous thank you goes to our main sponsor Pragmatic Play. Special thanks also goes to Whitworth Dental Care, Dental Mavericks, Connect My Marketing, Russell Martin Foundation and the Peter J Isola Foundation who have all made donations. Another big thank you to Rotary Gibraltar who have donated football boots.”
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who contribute to making these events a reality.”