Rabat – Morocco’s Lawyers Club President Mourad Elajouti, announced on Sunday the club’s joint decision to file a complaint to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee over the racist remarks that targeted Morocco and its citizens during the opening ceremony of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria.
Elajouti, who is also a lawyer at the Casablanca bar, announced the club’s decision in a tweet.
“The Lawyers Club in Morocco will resort to the Disciplinary Committee of FIFA to denounce the political instrumentalization of the opening ceremony of CHAN 2023 as well as the racist remarks chanted against Moroccan people,” Elajouti said.
Recalling FIFA’s disciplinary code, the lawyer stressed that “any person or authority may bring the attention of the judicial bodies of FIFA against any behavior that it deems contrary to FIFA regulations.”
The lawyer emphasized that article 60 of the FIFA Stadium Safety and Security Regulations strictly prohibits content promoting or announcing political messages, or any political action in or near the stadium.
“The Algerian Football Federation is fully responsible for these despicable acts. The FIFA regulations on the safety and security stadiums condemn any provocative and aggressive action and any racist speech,” he added.
On Friday last week, Algeria’s regime invited Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile Mandela, who delivered an anti-Moroccan speech that challenged Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Algerian football fans were also heard chanting anti-Moroccan slogans that compared Moroccans to “animals.”
“Give him the banana, Moroccans are animals,” a viral video shows Algerian fans saying.
The controversies came amid Algeria’s decision to reject Morocco’s request for its qualified team to fly directly to Constantine using a Royal Air Maroc flight to take part in the continental tournament.
Due to Algeria’s rejection, Morocco’s national football team was deprived of taking part in the ongoing competition, which kicked off on January 13.
Morocco’s national team was initially set to make its first appearance during the competition on Sunday against Sudan.
Due to Morocco’s non-participation, the team was announced as defeated during its first match.
Despite Algeria’s reluctance to give authorization and its decision to reject Morocco’s participation, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) did not issue any statement on Algiers’ decision to deprive the national team of its right to participate.
Instead, CAF issued a press release announcing that it will investigate and “look into the political statements and events at the opening ceremony” of the tournament.
“These political statements are not the statements of CAF and do not reflect the views or opinions of CAF as a politically neutral organization,” the statement said.
The racist remarks against Moroccans sparked uproar, with many citizens and organizations denouncing the unjustified acts.
Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF) rebuked Algeria for politicizing CHAN and described the racist comments made by Algerian fans as “vile practices,” “absurd maneuvers,” and a “flagrant violation of the laws governing football events.”
Morocco’s Alliance of Sports Journalists (AMJS) echoed similar sentiments, stressing that the anti-Moroccan acts during the CHAN opening ceremony are “despicable acts and abject maneuvers.”
