The Moroccan concept of Niya: from football memory to institutional website
The new institutional website niyamaghribiya.ma launched by the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication on Thursday at the Seventh Art Cinema in Rabat, aims to present to the public and future generations a documentation of the great football and sporting achievements made over the previous decades by all categories until today; as well as to open up to the future with an optimistic and positive vision for further achievements and triumphs.
- What is the Niya concept?
- Launching of the niyamaghribiya.ma platform
- Virtual content of Moroccan niya
- Exhibition of historical photos
- The Qatar 2022 World Cup epic
What is the Niya concept?
Niya is no longer a mere term that is repeated in certain situations, but has become a concept that Moroccans take as an identity motto that distinguishes the Moroccan people from other peoples of the world.
Based on good faith, Niya is part of ethics and literally means the good intentions of human beings towards each other. According to the Muslim religion based on the relational side, this intention must be pure in order to behave honourably among all humans.
If your Niya is pure, God grants you all the blessing in the world and a strong will to realise your dreams. As for the Moroccan society, Niya represents the password of good conduct; as it is a virtue that is basically based on sincerity.
Niya can also be the trust you place in someone. If the latter deceives, the Niya of the other will triumph. Therefore, good and bad intentions do not coincide according to the Moroccan collective imagination.
Launching of the niyamaghribiya.ma platform
After the great victory of the Atlas Lions at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication took the initiative to create a digital platform specialised in sport, especially football.
The national domain registered under the name niyamaghribiya.ma aims first and foremost to transmit the values and successes of the Moroccan national team from the football field to the virtual space. The website is open to public contributions through the sharing of photos and videos of the most important football events.
The website also aims to document the cumulative achievements of the Moroccan national team from the 1980s to the present day, as well as presenting the major projects Morocco is undertaking in structural preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 and the World Cup 2030.
These projects are being carried out in various economic sectors such as logistics, tourism, transport, sport, infrastructure and information.
The Secretary General of the Communication sector in the Ministry, Abdelaziz El Boujdayni, read, on this occasion, the letter of the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication in which he praised the achievements of the national team; highlighting the seriousness and creativity of the players who have become a role model for all Moroccans.
The letter also included words from the King insisting that "young Moroccans always surprise the world when they have the right conditions and arm themselves with the seriousness and spirit of citizenship; they even achieve great unprecedented achievements such as those of the Moroccan national team at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and the women's national team at the 2023 World Cup in Australia".
The minister highlighted in his letter that the 2030 World Cup will be a stronger and more important event than the other world events; as Morocco will welcome Africa and the world on its soil as a host country with symbolic dimensions for the African continent, the Arab world and the countries of the South in general.
"Like its national team, Morocco is preparing with all seriousness, confidence and boldness for this international football event, relying on its past as expertise and its sporting present as a drive towards victory, being focused on its future ambitions with all confidence," concluded the representative of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication.
Virtual content of Moroccan niya
For his part, Nisrine Souissi clarified that the website is an institutional platform run by the Ministry and aims to publish information on Moroccan football for Moroccans inside and outside Morocco.
This information includes excerpts from letters and royal speeches, as well as statistics, testimonies and news about the great achievements of the national team for men, women and all categories.
Niyamaghribiya will also report on the progress of major projects launched by King Mohammed VI in strategic sectors such as sport, tourism, transport and information.
Exhibition of historical photos
The football platform, described as interactive, contains testimonials from leading personalities in the field of football, summary articles and a participatory media library that gives users access to upload photos and videos and share them on social networks.
The Moroccan website offers its public a photo exhibition and a rich gallery of historical memories with the Moroccan national team from 1959 to 1986, with a planned update. These photos reflect the strong relationship that links this world sport with Morocco, King and people.
The exhibition includes photos of Moroccan football players with the three kings: Mohammed V, Hassan II and Mohammed VI. This reflects the interest that Morocco had and has in football as a collective sport, a source of the values of solidarity and complementarity between individuals for the common goal of success.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup epic
As part of the efforts to document this historic stage of Moroccan football, and to contribute to the artistic and cultural works and publications that strive to immortalise this crucial moment of the World Cup, the film "the epic" represents an enriching audiovisual documentation for the football content of the documentary genre.
After its first premiere at the Megarama cinema in Casablanca, with the participation of renowned sportsmen, artists and journalists, the documentary "The Epic" recalls, at the Seventh Art cinema in Rabat, the feat of the Atlas Lions at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The film sheds light on how the national football team made history by becoming the first Arab and African team to reach the semi-final of a World Cup. An exceptional journey that has not been possible without the guidance and leadership of national coach Walid Regragui.
The Atlas Lions have been a model of determination and resilience in qualifying for this fourth place in the world in their sixth appearance at the World Cup, one of the most important international sporting events.
The Moroccan press sees that the documentary on the unprecedented feat of the Atlas Lions was able to reveal the challenges the team faced, the moments of solidarity and the moments of glory that marked this unforgettable sporting adventure.
In the film, director Mehdi Ben Nasri gives testimonies from international football legends such as Brazil's Rivaldo, Patrick Kluivert of the Netherlands and Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo.
He also gives the floor to former Moroccan footballers to participate in the documentary, among them Mohamed Timumi, Aziz Bouderbala and Jawad Alzery, who were proud of the achievements of their new successors, with whom they share an incomparable love of their homeland.
