Fan death, crowd trouble mar CAF CL games in Morocco and Tunisia

Moroccan authorities open an investigation into a lovelorn fan who dies outside the stadium before the match between Raja Casablanca and Al Ahly.

Casablanca authorities have opened an investigation after a fan died outside the gates of the Stade Mohammed V before Raja Casablanca’s football match against Al Ahly in the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League.

Moroccan media reported that the fan, a 29-year-old woman, died in love on Saturday as thousands of fans tried to enter the stadium to watch Raja try to reverse a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Egypt.

“Aziz El Badrawy, President of Al-Raja Club Athletic, on his behalf and on behalf of all members of the club, expresses deepest condolences to the family of the fan, Noura, who passed away before our team’s match against Al-Ahly. the Moroccan club said in a statement.

Meanwhile, another CAF Champions League quarter-final between Esperance and Algeria’s JS Kabylie in Tunis on Saturday was marred by crowd trouble, causing a 40-minute delay in the second half.

Esperance fans clashed with Tunisian security forces and set off fireworks on the terraces during the half-time match at Rades stadium. Firefighters had to be called in to put out several small fires in front of the stands.

Algerian fans also complained that they were victims of unwarranted attacks by security forces.

The match ended in a 1–1 draw, but Esperance progressed to the semi-finals with a 2–1 aggregate after winning 1–0 in the first leg.

They will face Al Ahly over two legs for a place in the final after the Cairo club held Raja to a 0-0 draw in Casablanca.

Raja’s city rivals Wydad, the reigning champions, face South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the other semi-final next month.