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Sonny Bill Williams supports his ‘Moroccan brothers’ to continue their magical World Cup journey and BEAT Portugal in the quarter-finals in Qatar
Sonny Bill Williams has lent his support to the Moroccan team ahead of their big World Cup quarter-final clash against Portugal in Qatar.
The African national team have captured the hearts and minds of legions of fans around the world with their fearless and uncompromising style that has seen them eliminate Belgium and Spain in the tournament.
Prior to the penalty shootout victory over the Spanish, Romain Saiss & Co were spotted reciting the Koran and are the only Muslim-majority, Arabic-speaking country left in the tournament.
Sonny Bill Williams has given his support to the Moroccan team in the World Cup
And Sonny Bill Williams, a devout Muslim, took to Twitter on Saturday to back the Moroccans in taking another big scalp in Qatar.
‘In sha Allah, victory awaits our Moroccan brothers tonight,’ he posted online.
The 37-year-old former rugby star turned boxer turned his life around after converting to Islam after spending his youth as a ladies’ man.
He said his apparently “dream” lifestyle was all a facade before Islam found him.
“From the outside, I was the picture of success, but I was deeply unhappy,” he told the Irish Times. ‘It was a front and he was still playing amazing football.
The African team lives a magical streak in Qatar and has eliminated Spain and Belgium
The 37-year-old took to Twitter to support his ‘Moroccan brothers’ in beating Portugal on Saturday.
So it looked like he had it figured out. It was all due to the decisions he was making off the field. Now it’s like Instagram: we all post the perfect picture, but behind it is the evidence that everyone has.
‘I feel like I’m still a work in progress. But at that moment, when everything seemed perfect: I hate to say it like that, but he looked from the outside like this handsome young man who had fame, money and attention from the opposite sex and had privileges.
‘I didn’t say ‘no’ to things. I had a psychotic simplistic mindset that I was going to go on TV and buy my mom a house with fancy wallpaper. That took me to crazy extremes and that seeped into the party lifestyle.
‘And it was like: I was performing in the field so I can live how I want, I can have this drug, that drug, be with this woman. I’ve done it now! And when you live a life without limits, this is what can happen.
‘With that limitless life, I didn’t feel any empowerment. Now, I don’t wake up hungover and feeling disgusted with myself and soulless. Now, I feel a life of empowerment.’