At least 160 people, including 90 minors, were arrested in Morocco on Sunday following violence between football fans which left dozens injured during a cup match in Rabat, Moroccan police said.
The incriminated supporters “were arrested for their alleged involvement in acts of violence, for possession of knives, drunkenness, throwing stones causing material damage and setting fire to a vehicle”, specified the General Directorate of National Security. (DGSN) in a press release published in the evening.
At the end of a game of the Throne Cup played in the capital, ultras of AS FAR, the Moroccan Armed Forces club based in Rabat, eliminated 2-0, invaded the lawn to face the Maghreb supporters of Fez (MAS), according to local media.
The DGSN reported 103 injured among the police and 57 among the supporters.
“At this stage of the investigation, a lot of damage to the Moulay-Abdallah stadium facilities has been recorded. A motorcycle was set on fire and 33 police and private vehicles also suffered damage,” added the DGSN.
The Disciplinary Committee of the Football Federation is due to meet at the start of the week and sanctions are expected, according to the media.
First incident after COVID-19 restrictions in Morocco
These incidents are the first since the public returned to sports venues at the end of February after two years of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In recent years, Moroccan stadiums have been the scene of violence between supporters. Thus, fights frequently oppose the ultras of the two flagship clubs of Casablanca, Wydad and Raja, including outside the stadiums.
After the death of two supporters in early 2016, the authorities had dissolved groups of ultras to fight against hooliganism, even prohibiting any distinctive sign (slogans and banners) in the stadiums.
However, the authorities have again authorized the presence of ultras since March 2018.
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Source: Africanews