Rabat – Kelly Cristina Nascimento, the daughter of late Brazilian football legend Pele, has posted a video of her on Instagram learning Moroccan Arabic, known as “Darija,” as part of her trip to Morocco.
“Bringing a little of that Brazilian effort to Morocco! Time to learn another language,” read the video’s caption, which showed Nascimento conversing in Moroccan Darija with a local from Morocco’s capital Rabat.
The Moroccan was impressed with Nascimento’s language skills. The Brazilian native was quick to grasp various words and terms from Moroccan Darija and articulate them in a native-like way, despite the language being completely different from her mother tongue.
Similarly, Moroccan social media users welcomed Nascimento’s interest in learning their mother tongue, as others admired her impressive language skills. In addition to Darija, she spoke with the Moroccan man using French and English.
“In one month you will master [Darija] … You are gifted with learning languages and seriously your accent is correct,” said a Moroccan Instagram user.
Read also: King Mohammed VI: Pele Helped Make Football a Symbol of Peace, Coexistence
Others took the opportunity to express their love and respect for Nascimento’s father Pele, who passed away on December 29, 2022, at the age of 82 after suffering from a long-term illness.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2023, which took place in Morocco between February 1 and 11, paid tribute to the departed football legend during the tournament’s opening ceremony.
Pele’s daughter expressed that she has greatly enjoyed her trip to Morocco saying that it has “always been one of my favorite places in the world and I did not think I could love it more.”
Beyond her interest in Moroccan Darija, Nascimento is also fond of Moroccan cuisine, as she has enjoyed several Moroccan delicacies during her stay, including Moroccan tea and Msemmen [flat bread] with honey.
