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Rabat – The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) issued a statement on Friday condemning the aggression that the Moroccan U-17 football team faced when playing their Algerian counterpart.
The federation said it sent a letter to the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) condemning the “savagery and hooliganism” from both players of the opposing team and fans who invaded the pitch.
“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 federation demanded that the UAFA take “strict measures in accordance with the laws and regulations of football.”
The FRMF concluded by expressing “deep regret for the absence of the basics of sportsmanship in the match,” and confirmed that it will exhaust all legal means to protect the rights of the young Moroccan team.
The federation also said it will spend efforts to spread the spirit of sportsmanship, which was “completely absent in this final match.”
Video footage shared online shows Algerian players attacking Morocco’s goalkeeper and players after the match was finished. The video shows fans storming the pitch and joining in on the fighting.
The match was the final one of the 2022 U-17 Arab Cup, held in Algeria between August 23 and September 8.
Algeria won the match with a penalty kickoff after a 1-1 draw in the match, and took home the trophy.
Many online decried the seeming absence of sufficient security forces in the stadium, which allowed the fans to invade the pitch and escalate the violence once the final whistle of the match was blown.
This concern was elevated by the notable attendance of 20,000 people in the stands, and the charged atmosphere of the match as the two countries have been experiencing diplomatic troubles for years.
