The Moroccan Football Federation has postponed its match against Liberia scheduled for Saturday as part of the final round of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers "to a later date," due to a strong earthquake that struck Morocco late Friday night. The Moroccan Football Federation stated in its announcement: "Following the earthquake that affected some areas in Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces the postponement of the match that was to take place on Saturday, September 9, 2023, between the national team and its Liberian counterpart... to a later time, in agreement with the African Union."
Morocco had already qualified for the continental finals set to take place in early 2024 in Ivory Coast, having collected six points from three matches, with two victories over the leaders South Africa 2-1 and Liberia 2-0, and a loss at home to South Africa 1-2, in a group that included three teams instead of four after Zimbabwe was disqualified.
The Moroccan city of Marrakech was also scheduled to host a crucial match between Gambia and Congo tomorrow, Sunday, in Group 7, competing for a second ticket to join Mali in the finals.
In the same context, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the earthquake victims through his Instagram account, saying, "I am shocked and saddened by the news of the earthquake that occurred last night in Morocco, a country that warmly welcomed us at the Club World Cup earlier this year. All of FIFA's thoughts go out to those affected, and I extend my sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the victims." Many global clubs have also expressed solidarity with the victims of the earthquake in Morocco.
