Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak Refuses to Answer Provocative Question on LGBTQ+ Players

Morocco’s national women football team captain Ghizlane Chebbak refused to answer a provocative question from a BBC reporter on whether any of the players in the team identify as LGBTQ+.

Rabat – Morocco’s national women football team captain Ghizlane Chebbak refused to answer a provocative question from a BBC reporter on whether any of the players in the team identify as LGBTQ+.

During the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Germany in Australia, a BBC reporter asked, “We know that gay marriage is illegal, are there any gay players in the team, and how it’s like for them.”

Upon hearing the question, Chebbak gave a seeming look of disbelief, while the FIFA translator took over and reminded the reporter that the press conference is about Morocco’s upcoming match against Germany on Monday, adding that the question is a political one.

The news comes one day ahead of Morocco’s first match in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

Morocco has been positioned in Group H for the World Cup draw, where they will compete with Germany, South Korea, and Colombia.

In 2022, Morocco’s national women’s team achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the Women’s World Cup for the first time. This qualification came after a victory against Botswana in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarter-finals.

The Atlas Lionesses displayed an outstanding performance throughout the continental tournament, making it to the WAFCON final for the first time in their history.

Morocco is set to represent the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as the sole representative in the upcoming global tournament.