Rabat – Moroccan police have arrested an employee at a hotel in Casablanca on suspicion of stealing money from the rooms of players representing an African women’s national team participating in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Officers from the judicial police unit in Casablanca’s Anfa security district arrested the suspect today, following complaints concerning several separate thefts from the players’ rooms.
According to a police statement, investigators carried out extensive field inquiries that led them to identify the suspect as an employee of the same hotel where the players were staying.
Searches conducted as part of the investigation resulted in the recovery of MAD 10,000, which police believe represents the full amount obtained through the alleged thefts.
The suspect had reportedly converted the stolen money from US dollars into Moroccan dirhams.
Police placed the hotel employee in custody pending the completion of a judicial investigation supervised by the competent public prosecutor’s office.
The investigation will seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and determine all alleged criminal acts that may be attributed to the suspect.
Police do not identify team or hotel
Moroccan authorities did not publicly identify the hotel or the African national team involved in the case.
However, Nigerian media had earlier reported that several members of the Super Falcons complained about money disappearing from their rooms while the Nigerian squad was staying at a hotel in Casablanca before the tournament.
Nigeria forward Esther Okoronkwo alleged on social media that $700 had been taken from her wallet. Other teammates were also reported to have discovered that cash was missing from their rooms.
The team’s media officer subsequently confirmed that the players had reported the matter to the relevant Moroccan authorities and that an investigation was underway.
The police statement did not explicitly confirm that the arrested employee’s case was connected to the complaints made by the Nigerian players, meaning the identity of the affected national team remains officially undisclosed.
The incident occurred as Morocco began hosting the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which runs until August 16. The continental competition officially kicked off in Rabat on July 26.
The arrested employee remains a suspect and has not been convicted. Prosecutors will decide the next legal steps after receiving the findings of the police investigation.
