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Laayoune – The Confederation for African Football’s (CAF) Committee for Organizing and Development of Indoor and Beach Football ruled in favor of Morocco’s national beach soccer team on Wednesday.
In a match against the Ivory Coast’s national beach soccer team, that took place on August 6, Morocco was deemed the winner of a three goals tie match after the committee had settled a technicality.
The technicality occurred after Libyan referee Yahya Abdel Ghani announced a penalty kick in favor of the Moroccan team in the final minutes of the match, which took place in Rabat. Afterwards, the Ivory Coast beach football team declined to complete the encounter, in protest of the referee’s decision.
According to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), the Ivory Coast team was held accountable and subsequently lost the match.
The committee’s judgment was supported by the referee and match representative’s reports, as well as article 60 of Chapter 27 of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) regulations.
The article states that “if a team withdraws from the qualifying phase, organized in home and away format, the opposing team shall be qualified for the next round.”
Now that questions over the validity of the technicality have been resolved, Morocco’s national beach soccer team has earned a spot in the 2022 African Cup of Nations finals, which will be held in Mozambique from October 21–30.
Read also: Morocco Draws Group B in 2021 Africa Beach Soccer Cup
The Ivory Coast team previously won the first leg match in Abidjan, located in the south of the country, with a score of 7 goals against 6.
Morocco is one of the more seasoned teams in the competition, having made eight appearances since the tournament’s inception in 2006 and finishing third in 2013. During that game, the North African team defeated Nigeria 7-2 in El Jadida.
