Rabat – Supporters of Morocco’s AS FAR strongly condemned the treatment they received from South African stadium security during the first leg of the CAF Champions League final against Mamelodi Sundowns.
In a statement, the ultras group Curva Ch denounced violent and unjustified assaults on Moroccan fans inside the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.“We strongly condemn the attacks on our supporters by South African security, which left many injured and caused cases of fainting. These scenes have nothing to do with the spirit of sport or the values of continental competition,” the group said.
The statement also criticized the way Moroccan fans are treated abroad compared to the hospitality offered to foreign supporters in Morocco.
“We are surprised by the way we are received outside our country, which is the opposite of the respect and welcome given to foreigners in Morocco. This raises serious questions about the criteria used to deal with Moroccan fans,” the group added.
AS FAR fans insisted they reject all forms of provocation and violence, stressing that their only purpose was to support their team and raise the national flag.
“We demand that the relevant authorities take responsibility for protecting Moroccan supporters and preserving their dignity both at home and abroad. We also wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” the statement concluded.
Chaotic night in pretoria
The scenes in the stands added to a troubled evening in Pretoria, where the match itself was disrupted by a VAR malfunction and played on a damaged pitch following a rugby game the day before.
One AS FAR supporter was filmed falling from the tribunes, while other videos showed clashes between rival fans and objects being thrown.
Despite the off‑field incidents, Sundowns won 1‑0 thanks to a first‑half goal from Aubrey Modiba, leaving AS FAR needing a comeback in the return leg.
The decisive match will be played at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, May 24, with kickoff at 8 p.m local time (GMT+1).
AS FAR will look to overturn the deficit in front of their home crowd, while fans continue to call for accountability after the violence in Pretoria.
