The Morocco-Liberia Africa Cup of Nations qualifier scheduled to be played this Saturday evening in Agadir has been postponed following an earthquake that hit Morocco on Friday night.
The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.5, struck the Moroccan province of Al Haouz in the Marrakech region. It caused widespread damage and at least 500 deaths so far and still counting.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) announced the postponement of the match on Saturday morning.
“Following the earthquake that struck several regions of the Kingdom, RMFF announces the postponement of the game scheduled to take place on Saturday evening between Morocco and Liberia, in the final round of qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations (2024 AFCON), in coordination with the Confederation of African Football”, the Moroccan football governing body said in a press release.
“The national football family expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured,” the same source added.
The RMFF did not specify a new date for the match. However, it said it will work with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to reschedule the match as soon as possible.
The Morocco-Liberia match was a crucial one for both teams. Morocco had already qualified for the 2024 AFCON, but Liberia was still in contention for a place in the tournament.
The postponement of the match is a blow to Liberia’s hopes of qualifying for the AFCON. However, the safety of the players and fans is the top priority, and the FRMF made the right decision to postpone the match.
The Moroccan authorities have said that they are working to assess the damage caused by the earthquake and to provide assistance to the victims. They have also called for calm and urged people to follow the instructions of the authorities.
