Morocco v Liberia AFCON qualifier postponed after deadly earthquake

Ahram Online , Saturday 9 Sep 2023

Saturday's scheduled match between Morocco and Liberia in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers has been postponed due to the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities.

Rescue workers search for survivors in a collapsed house in Moulay Brahim, Al Haouz province, on September 9, 2023. AP

The Atlas Lions were set to host their Liberian counterparts at Stade d'Agadir at 21:00 GMT+2 for the final round of the qualifiers. However, the Moroccan Football Federation officially requested the postponement from the African football governing body (CAF) earlier today.

"In light of the earthquake, Saturday's game between Morocco and Liberia has been postponed indefinitely, in coordination with CAF," the federation stated in a press release reported by Moroccan media on Saturday.

The powerful earthquake inflicted severe damage on multiple cities, resulting in numerous casualties and extensive structural damage.

Despite the postponement of Saturday's match, Morocco has already secured a berth in next year's African Cup, while Liberia has already seen their hopes of reaching the prestigious finals dashed.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)