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Morocco’s football clubs have reported tens of coronavirus infections among their players and technical staff. As the numbers of Covid-19 infections increase, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation urged top-division football clubs to impose strict social distancing measures on their players and staff and to self-isolate.
The number of infections among these clubs, however, have been on the rise, since the start of the health crisis in Morocco. Ittihad Riadi Tanger, for example, is the club most affected by the coronavirus. So far, the Tangier-based club recorded 34 coronavirus cases among its players and technical staff.
On June 29, Ittihad Tanger announced its first coronavirus infection. By August 9, the number of cases within the club rose to 23, with players, managers and members of its technical and administrative staff infected with the virus.
Raja Beni Mellal, another first division club, confirmed 15 coronavirus cases. 9 of these cases were recorded among its players. Meanwhile, Renaissance Sportive de Berkane recorded 11 infections, with 8 of its players testing positive for the coronavirus.
Rabat’s Fath Union Sport (FUS) was also affected by the health crisis. On Tuesday, the club said that about 10 players as well as three members of its staff tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Wydad Casablanca announced on August 19 that five new infections were recorded within the club, adding that five others were confirmed on August 14. Not very far from Casablanca, El Jadida’s Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi recorded 4 confirmed coronavirus cases : including three of its players.
Rapide Club Oued Zem (RCOZ) and the Raja of Casablanca recorded respectively three cases and one case of infection with Covid-19.
Forty infections within second division clubs
Second division clubs have also reported coronavirus infections. Chabab Ben Guerir remains the team most affected by the virus, with 11 infections, affecting 10 of its players and a member of the team's office.
On Tuesday August 25, the team from the capital of Rhamna announced five new cases, following a new screening test, bringing the total number of infections within the club to 9.
On Wednesday, Chabab Ben Guerir indicated that following the screening carried out recently, another player tested positive for Covid-19, hence the need to impose a quarantine on the team.
With 10 infections, the Maghreb Sports Association (MAS) of Fez comes second. On July 22, the team announced ten confirmed cases : Two cases among the technical staff, three players as well as one case from the team's management, MAS announced. Six days later, the Fez-based team announced 4 more cases; three players and a member of the club’s medical staff.
There are also 9 positive cases announced in the ranks of Tihad Athletic Sport (TAS) of Casablanca, also playing in the second division.
For its part, Kénitra Athlétic Club (KAC) recorded six infections. After two infections confirmed on July 25, the football club announced, on the 30th of July, 4 new cases, wishing its players a speedy recovery.
The Kenitra club also carried out, on August 24, new screening tests in preparation for its match initially scheduled for Wednesday against CAS, which was finally postponed to a later date. For the moment, no announcement has been made regarding these new tests.
The Kawkab Athletique Club de Marrakech (KACM) comes fifth, with 4 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
With the same number of infections, the Chabab de Mohammedia also remains affected by Covid-19. Thus, a player of the A team, two members of the technical staff and a member of the medical staff tested positive two weeks ago.
The Union Sportive de Sidi Kacem, Chabab Atlas Khénifra and the Association Sportive de Salé remain, for the moment, the least affected by the virus, with respectively two cases for the first and one case each for the last two.
