A Moroccan woman died on Saturday evening April 29, near the Mohammed V sports complex in Casablanca (Morocco), before a match of the Champions League of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The young woman suffered from discomfort during a crowd movement, while many supporters tried to enter the stadium. “Aged 29, this supporter of the Raja Casablanca team died while she was around the Mohammed V sports complex”, announced the prefecture of Casablanca.
An investigation was opened by the Moroccan authorities under the supervision of the local prosecutor’s office. Raja de Casablanca faced the Egyptian team Al Ahly, in the second leg of the quarter-finals of The Champions League. Several groups of Raja supporters, in excess, could not access the stadium “even though they had tickets”, reported the specialized website Elbotola.com which denounced a “scandalous organization”.
“Many of those in the stands did not have tickets for the match, while fans with tickets were prevented from entering under the pretext that the stadium was full,” the site said. Another sports newspaper, Al Mountakhab, as well as witnesses, spoke of “clashes between fans and security forces when the stadium gates were opened”.
Recurrent violence
According to a photographer from Agence France-Presse (AFP), a general fight, marked in particular by throwing bottles, broke out in a gallery at the end of the meeting between rival bands of ultras from Raja, eliminated from the competition. after this draw of their team (0-0). The police had to intervene in the stands to put an end to the clashes. Clashes then took place in the surrounding streets, according to witnesses.
Violence is recurrent between groups of Moroccan supporters. The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) has repeatedly reported in recent months arrests for violence in stadiums in Morocco. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has also indicated that it has sanctioned several clubs, ranging from simple fines to matches without an audience, following incidents.
After the death of two supporters in early 2016, the authorities dissolved groups of ultras to fight against hooliganism, even banning all distinctive signs (slogans and banners) in the stadiums, before authorizing the presence of ultras again in March 2018. Morocco declared itself a candidate to host the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2025, and also formalized in March its candidacy for the organization of the 2030 World Cup, with Spain and Portugal, a tournament which will mark the centenary of the most popular sporting competition.
Other incidents in Tunis, the match interrupted
In Tunis, another Champions League quarter-final second leg between Espérance de Tunis and Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (Algeria) was interrupted for more than thirty minutes.
According to Mosaïque radio and other testimonies, Espérance supporters tried to enter the lawn after the first period but the police intervened and clashes broke out. Fans knocked over trash cans on the sides of the Rades Olympic Stadium and caused a fire in an access corridor; clashes pitted them against the riot police, according to these testimonies.
Live media footage showed a fire truck responding to put out the incipient blaze. Shortly after 9:45 p.m., the match was able to resume in front of practically empty stands on the Espérance side. The club almost immediately scored a first goal before JSK equalized, but failed to qualify after losing the first leg in Algiers. No official report could be obtained from the authorities contacted, but an AFP photographer counted at least twenty injured police officers as well as several supporters.
