U-17 Arab Cup: UAFA Fines Algeria, Morocco, Suspends Algerian Player

Rabat – The Discipline and Ethics Committee at the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) on Saturday issued fines of $25,000 against the Moroccan and Algerian national youth teams, as well as a 6-month suspension for the Algerian player Abdelhak Ben Adir, found guilty of attacking the Moroccan goalkeeper.

The Algerian football federation is facing an additional $120,000 fines for fans’ misbehavior. Videos circulating social media show hundreds of Algerian fans storming the pitch and attacking Moroccan players during the U-17 Arab cup final on Thursday.

UAFA said earlier today that the parties fined and suspended can apply for an appeal, stressing “its total rejection of any violation or deviation from sportsmanship in various competitions.”

Morocco’s U17 football team faced their Algerian counterpart in Sig, Algeria, during the final of the regional tournament on Thursday. The Algerian team won 2-4 in the penalty shoot-out after the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Soon after announcing the Algerian team as the winners of the youth Arab Cup, clashes erupted between the Moroccan and Algerian teams. Video footage of Moroccan players being attacked made waves on social media platforms in Morocco.

Many Moroccans condemned the violence Algerian players and fans inflicted on the defenseless Moroccan team, decrying the lack of sufficient security at the stadium and calling on the UAFA to adequately punish the post-match violence the Moroccan team suffered.

On Friday, the Moroccan Royal Football Federation issued a statement in which it condemned the aggression the Moroccan team endured after the match. The federation noted that it had sent a letter to the UAFA to address the “savagery and hooliganism” the Moroccan team suffered from the Algerian team and fans.

“The Royal Moroccan Football Federation finds the complete absence of security in the presence of a large crowd and with a charged atmosphere before and during the match strange,” the statement said.
The UEFA’s decision to fine the Moroccan national football due to the participation of some players in the clashes might ignite new waves of condemnation on Moroccan social media, with many stressing that the Algerian team and public intentionally targeted their Moroccan guests.