Court Postpones World Cup Ticket Scandal Case, Asfi Team President Remains in Prison

Rabat – The primary criminal court in Ain Sebaa, Casablanca announced adjourning the case involving the World Cup ticket sales.

Mohamed El Haidaoui, a prominent member of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and president of the Olympique Asfi football club, is at the center of the legal proceedings alongside a radio host, currently out on bail, according to local news reports.

The new hearing date is set for August 9. During the hearing, the defense team representing Mohamed El Haidaoi, who remains under arrest, requested the summoning of witnesses, aiming to ensure fair proceedings similar to other involved parties in the case.

The defense team further presented motions for the temporary release of the accused, emphasizing his compliance with all attendance requirements. However, the public prosecutor rejected the motions presented by the defense team.

News of Al-Haidaoui’s arrest came out on Wednesday on his alleged participation in a scheme involving the manipulation and sale of tickets for the Qatar 2022 World Cup on the black market.

The case revolved around the unauthorized sale of tickets that were originally meant to be distributed free of charge to the public for the Morocco-France match in the World Cup semi-final.

The National Judicial Police conducted a comprehensive investigation into the ticket-selling scandal, leading to the authorities taking action against Al-Haidawi.

In December 2022, Al-Haidawi, who is a member of the ruling party RNI, was referred to his party’s disciplinary committee regarding his involvement in the World Cup tickets scandal.

The suspicion arose after audio clips surfaced on social media, suggesting that he may have used his position to sell World Cup tickets at inflated prices.

Regarding the authenticity of the audio recording related to the World Cup ticket sales, Al-Haidawi acknowledges its legitimacy but contended that it was taken out of context, according to local reports.

He claimed that the person in the recording initially contacted him requesting two tickets, and he responded by stating he did not have the tickets and suggested they purchase them from another seller at a price of 6,000 dirhams ($600) per ticket.

Al-Haidawi insists that he was merely acting as a “mediator” between the two parties involved.