A tragedy occurred in Saturday’s CAF Champions League quarter-final clash between Raja Casablanca and Al Ahly Cairo in the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.
Moroccan police are investigating the death of a 29-year-old female fan, who reportedly died in a crush outside the stadium before the match.
The anticipation for the game among Raja fans was at a peak, with the team needing to come back from a 2-0 loss in the first leg.
Thousands of fans filled the stadium, while thousands more crowded outside without a ticket.
On the pitch, Raja were the better side during the first half, and won a penalty deep into stoppage time.
Unfortunately for the Moroccans, their Algerian trequartista, Yousri Bozok, missed from the spot and gave the opposition the confidence they needed to fight in the second half.
The game ended in a 0-0 draw, guaranteeing Al Ahly’s place in the semi-final.
After the match, with the news of the fan who died, a statement from Raja said that the president, “on behalf of all members of the club, extends his deepest condolences to the family of the fan, Noura, who passed away”.
Raja is out of the Champions League, but when a fan loses their life outside the stadium, the result on the pitch doesn’t even matter.
Rising friction between Tunisian football and politics
Only a couple of weeks ago, we reported on Nizar Issaoui, a Tunisian footballer who set himself on fire in a protest against the Tunisian authorities’ policies, and later died from his wounds.
This weekend, a similarly scary story took place in Tunisia.
On Saturday night, Esperance Taraji Tunis hosted JS Kabylie from Algeria, in another CAF Champions League quarter-final.
The Taraji Ultras helped to create a terrific atmosphere inside the stadium.
But problems in the stands started during the match, as Taraji fans clashed with Tunisian police forces inside the stadium, in one of the most dangerous situations seen on African football pitches in recent times.
In one video, one of Taraji’s faithfuls can, allegedly, be seen using a chainsaw inside the terrace.
Due to these events, the second half was delayed by 40 minutes, and firefighters were called to take care of the fire that broke in the stands.
Kabilye’s travelling fans complained that the local security forces had attacked them.
Taraji fans claim that the rioters weren’t part of them or weren’t football fans at all, with unverified speculations that these were criminals or political activists who decided to launch an attack on the police forces in the stadium.
Somehow the game continued, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Esperance progressing to the semi-finals on aggregate.
CAF has strongly condemned the events in both Tunisia and Morocco, classifying them as an “unruly behaviour by a section of supporters”.
General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba said both situations would be investigated, and require appropriate action.
The circumstances, as mentioned, are being investigated, yet it is hard to disconnect recent events in Tunisian football from the current political climate in the country.
For the last couple of years, president Kais Saeid, has been running a profound reform in the country’s regime and rules, targeting mainly the judicial and parliamentary systems.
In July 2021, Saeid suspended parliament and dismissed the government.
In 2022, he changed the constitution, giving his office unlimited powers and de facto neutralising parliament.
Since February, security forces have arrested more than 20 public figures, including a few leading members of the Tunisian opposition.
It had been the only country in the region where the Arab Spring, a decade ago, brought a genuine democratic shift.
It has become clearer in recent weeks that in Tunisia the political situation is starting to be reflected on the football field.
Al Hilal make mistakes in final first leg
The biggest week of the Asian club football season kicked off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, with the first leg of the AFC Champions League final between Al Hilal and Urawa Red Diamonds.
The Saudi Asian champions started the match in style, with a great goal by Salem Al Dawsari after just twelve minutes.
The King Fahd Stadium roared, this was going to be Al Hilal’s night.
But, in the second half, everything went wrong for the Saudis.
A bizarre mistake by Ali Al Bulayhi in defence, who somehow managed to hit his own goalpost, coupled with a late response from goalkeeper Abdullah Al Mouayouf, and Shinzo Koroki was in the right spot at the right time to pull level.
The frustration started to pile up, and Al Dawsari saw red after a violent response to a tackle by Hiroki Sakai.
Al Dawsari, Al Hilal’s most important player and goals contributor, won’t play the second leg in Saitama.
The tie was held until the end, and the Japanese players celebrated a crucial away goal and a draw.
Al Hilal manager Ramon Diaz and his players understood that now they will need something exceptional in the second leg in Japan on Saturday, in what will be the biggest game in Asian football this season.
And the bad news for the Saudis kept on coming as, according to reports, they will miss captain Sleman Al Faraj, who succumbed to an injury in the first game.
Drama in Israel title decider
Hapoel Be’er Sheva hosted Maccabi Haifa for what could have been the latter’s crowning match for a third consecutive title.
The last two weeks, however, have been filled with an ongoing saga over where the match would take place, after a Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans were accidentally lit on fire, and the Israeli FA decided to move the game to Ashdod.
After another discussion. and significant criticism, they overturned the decision, but decided to close the Southern stand in Turner Stadium.
Maccabi Haifa’s fans created a huge buzz before the match, and bought any ticket they could.
The game itself started positively for them, with an own goal by Eitan Tibi after 11 minutes.
Eugene Ansah equalised with excellent positioning and finished from within the box just five minutes later.
Chances came from both ends, with Be’er Sheva slightly closer to scoring, but Tjarron Chery of Haifa almost surprised the host with a terrific shot that hit the crossbar.
The game developed into an aggressive, but fast and offensive display.
In the fifth and last minute of stoppage time, Mariano Bareiro flew higher than anyone else to a header by Eitan Tibi inside Haifa’s box and scored the winner for Be’er Sheva.
After the match, a massive brawl between both camps started on the pitch.
The Israeli championship title race is now wide open, with only four points separating Haifa in first place and Be’er Sheva in second, with just three games to play.
The title race in Israel is alive and kicking, literally.
