Rabat- The Algerian police has reportedly assaulted the players of Morocco’s Raja of Casablanca following the second leg of the African Champions’ League match that pitted them against Wifak Stef.

Like the first leg of the competition, the second leg ended in a 2-2 draw. The fate of the match was decided in a session of penalty shootouts which titled in favor of the Algerian side.

But as the Moroccan team was exiting the pitch, it was assaulted by the Algerian police, as well as by the President Wifak Stef.

According to Mohammed Boudrika, President of Raja of Casablanca, who was speaking on Radio Mars following the match, his team was beaten up by the Algerian police, which left 10 people injured.

Boudrika went on to add that the President of the Algerian side entered the pitch, beat Raja players and abused them verbally.

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Rabat - The delegation of Raja of Casablanca was assaulted by Algerian Police and officials of Wifak Setif following the game that pitted them against Wifak Setif on Friday in Algeria.

In a statement to Moroccan media, Mohammed Boudrika, President of the Moroccan club, said that his players technical and the whole delegations were physically assaulted by Algerian police and the President of Wifak Setif at half-time and immediately after the match.

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Rabat- Jose Romao will leave his position as head coach of Raja Casablanca, reports say.

The Portuguese coach, who still has one year in his contract, is set to leave the team following the disqualification from the African Champions League against Algerian side of Wifak Sétif and due to poor performance in the Moroccan top league.

The two parties have reportedly agreed to amicably terminate the contract.

The Casablanca-based team currently occupies the seventh place in the Moroccan league with 36 points, 17 behind city rivals and Botola Pro leaders Wydad Athletic Club.

The team anticipates naming a coach soon.

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Rabat - Raja Casablanca has announced that Moroccan coach, Fathi Jamal, will take over the helm of the Casablanca-based team.

Jamal will replace coach Jose Romao who left his position as Raja Casablanca's head coach following the African Champions League exit against Algerian side of Wifak Sétif.

Born in 1959 in Casablanca, Fathi Jamal played most of his career for Raja Casablanca. After retiring as a player, he coached many local teams including Kawakab Marrakech, FAR Rabat and Widad Fez. He was also the head coach of Morocco's youth team that finished 4th at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.

The Casablanca-based team currently occupies the seventh place in the Moroccan league with 36 points, 17 behind city rivals and Botola Pro leaders Wydad Athletic Club.

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Rabat- Morocco's Rachid Azzahim is among the world's best virtual footballers who will gather in Germany to compete at this year's FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final.

The 31-year-old Graphic Designer will represent Morocco at the FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final to take place in the German city of Munich on 18 and 19 May.

The final will bring together 20 best virtual football players from all over the world. They will step up to Sony PlayStation 4 consoles and compete against each other on EA SPORTS FIFA 15.

The Grand Prize for winning the Grand Final of the world's largest gaming tournament includes $20.000 cash prize and a trip for two people to the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2015.

Rachid Azzahim participated in the FIFA Interactive World Cup many times but it is the first to see him reaching the Gran Final. "I have participated in the FIWC since 2012 but I have always had limited time to compete because I work full-time. When the 90-match limit was introduced for 2015 I told to myself that I must not miss this opportunity," he told FIFA.com.

Asked about his feeling having secured a spot in the Grand Final, Azzahim said that he is very happy to make it to Munich. "This competition is a dream to many players so I'm very lucky. This kind of thing could happen once in a life-time," he added.

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Rabat- Moroccan international footballer Mehdi Carcela was named Belgium's Best Arab Footballer of 2015, according to media reports.

The Standard Liège midfielder was awarded the 2015 Belgian Lion Award for the best Arab player playing in the Belgian football league.

The award was created by the Voltaire association with the aim of highlighting personalities of Arab origin who contribute to the development of Belgian football.

"Mehdi deserves this award because last season he suffered a lot of injuries but for now, it appears that he is in full possession of his capabilities," said Belgian-Moroccan Noureddine Jbari, who chaired the jury. "We know his technique, his way of dribbling, to provoke, to add speed to the play of Standard. No one can question the talent of Mehdi Carcela."

The 25-year-old made his professional debut for Standard Liege at the age of nineteen. In September 2011, he moved to Russia by joining Anzhi Makhachkala for 5.7 million Euros. He returned to old club Standard Liege on a three-year contract after spending two years in Russia.

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Fez - Two Raja fans who attended the match between Raja Athletic Club and Wifaq Setif did not return home after the game and have been declared missing by their families.

The two supporters who attended the African Champions League second leg match of round sixteen on May 2 have not been found by the Moroccan Embassy in Algiers.

Mohamed Naciri, the manager and spokesman of Raja told Tel Quel that the families of the two fans declared the men missing on Wednesday.

Raja Athletic Club’s administration transmitted the information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Morocco in Algiers. The latter announced that it had found two Moroccans, but who do not match the descriptions of the missing pair.

Raja fans said that violence broke out when Algerian police began assaulting the crowd without provocation at the conclusion of the match. Mohammed Boudrika, President of the Moroccan club, said that his players as well as the entire delegation were physically assaulted by both the Algerian police and the President of Wifak Setif both at half-time and immediately following the match.

The Algerian press claims that violence began after Raja supporters provoked the police after Raja scored the equalizer goal in the last minutes of the second half.

Moroccan television previously broadcast a video in which Wifaq Stef President, Hassan Hammar, describes Moroccans as “Jews.” Moreover, in a recent press conference Mr. Hammar said that Algerians are from the Polisario, a separatist movement that questions Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

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Rabat - The President of Algeria's Wifak Sétif, Hassan Hammar, accused Morocco of hosting an Israeli embassy in Rabat, and added that he supports the Polisario Front, a separatist movement that claims to be the only representative of the Sahrawis, and who seek to establish an independent state in the Western Sahara in southern Morocco.

“If you forget us, I want to remind you that we are from the Polisario,” he said.

Hammar accused Raja Casablanca of provoking violence during his team's African Champions League shootout win on Friday, 1 May 1, adding that he reacted to comments made by members of the Moroccan team in which they allegedly labeled Algerians as "Jews" and of being "children of French fathers and Turkish mothers."

Hammar added that he had every right as the club's president to react to the Moroccan delegation and of reminding them that Algerians are pro-Polisario.

Wifak Sétif’s presidentresident also added a political dimension to the controversy when he said that Algerians “are better than Moroccans because they don't kiss hands.”

The kissing Hammar is referring to is the royal hand kissing seen in Morocco as a mark of respect towards the king and Moroccan royal family.

After the the African Champions League match that pitted Morocco’s Raja of Casablanca against Wifak Sétif in Algeria, an unprecedented wave of violence erupted in the stadium.

According to videos shot by Moroccan television channel, Medi1 TV, Moroccan fans were assaulted by the Algerian police, while Raja of Casablanca players were assaulted by the President of Wifak Sétif.

In an interview with local sports radio channel, Radio Mars, following the game, Raja Casablanca President Mohammed Boudrika said that ten Raja players were injured after being assaulted by the Algerian riot police.

Boudrika said the Casablanca-based team were assaulted and attacked by the Algerian riot police as they were exiting the pitch.

He added that  Hassan Hammar made demeaning comments against Moroccans and called them “Jews.”

The second leg of the competition ended like the first, in a 2-2 draw.

The Algerian side has progressed to the next round of the African competition following a 4-1 penalty shootout win.

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Rabat - Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly donated 7 million euros to help the aid effort in Nepal, according to French media reports.

French sports magazine So Foot reported the three-time FIFA Ballon D'Or winner handed the enormous sum of money to the charitable organization Save the Children.

The 30-year-old forward also called last month upon his 100 million followers on Facebook to donate to the charity, which is providing aid for survivors of the earthquake.

Ronaldo is also believed to have paid for a 10-month old boy to have brain surgery, and in 2004 he flew to the aid of Indonesian tsunami victims after he saw footage of a young man wearing a Portugal shirt with his name on the back.

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Rabat - Real Madrid's dreams to reach the Champions League final for the second consecutive year were dashed yesterday by Juventus.

But it was the team's goalkeeper Iker Casillas who became an overnight internet laughingstock after he failed to take a proper throw-in in the dying seconds of the crucial game.

With just few seconds into the final whistle, Casillas raced across to take a throw-in to get the ball moving quickly.

However the iconic goalkeeper was penalized by referee Jonas Eriksson after he pulled off a bizarre throw-in as he released the ball at the wrong point, giving the Italian side just what they needed which is to gain back possession over the ball and put the final nail in Real Madrid's coffin.

In the aftermath of the throw, the internet reacted mercilessly in mocking the keeper:

Iker Casillas took the worst throw-in of all time [Best photoshops & Tweets] http://t.co/67ow220fIT pic.twitter.com/P4LPyFQGXN

— 101 Great Goals (@102greatgoals) 14 Mai 2015

Does Iker Casillas even remember what sport he plays? pic.twitter.com/6jTfTdadzI

— 101 Great Goals (@102greatgoals) 13 Mai 2015

Iker Casillas taking a throw in... pic.twitter.com/snV5Xggb51

— Paddy Power (@paddypower) 13 Mai 2015

La touche ratée de Casillas n'aura pas résisté longtemps à la twittosphère. pic.twitter.com/8QDizYMy9a

— DailyMercato (@DailyMercato) 13 Mai 2015

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Argentine striker, Emanuel Ortega died Thursday after he was admitted for eleven days for a skull fracture he sustained when his head hit a wall during a football match in the Argentinian fourth division.

The accident occurred during the party that San Martin de Burzaco, Ortega’s team, played on May 3 against Juventud Unida.

The player, 21, was disputing a ball with an opponent when his head hit the concrete perimeter wall surrounding the pitch.

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Rabat - Head coach of the national football team Badou Ezzaki has announced his 30-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Libya on June 12th in Agadir, with AC Milan's Hachim Mastour as the most notable attendee.

Mastour, who appeared on six occasions for Italy Under-16s, could make his debut for the Moroccan national team against Libya after he has been promoted to Badou Ezzaki's side.

His outstanding performance earned him the attention of Europe's football heavyweights, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and Manchester City.

Squad in full:

Bouanou Yassine (Real Zaragoza), M'Hamdi Abdelali (KACM), El Kajoui Monir (Numancia), El Bourkadi Amine (OCK), El Youssfi Mohamed (MAT), El Mehdi Benatia (Bayern Munich), Oulhaj Mohamed (RCA), Abarhoune Mohamed (MAT), Achchakir Abderahim (AS FAR), Feddal Zouhair (Parma), Chafik Fouad (Laval), Achenteh Rochdi (Vitesse Arnhem), Kharja Houssine (Sochaux), El Adoua Issam (Chongqing Lifan), Lazaar Achraf (Palermo), El Ahmadi Karim (Feynoord Rotterdam), Obbadi Mounir (Hellas Verona), Ait Ben Ider Jamal (Aj Auxerre), El Messadoui Ahmed (FC Lierse), Amrabat Noureddine (Malaga FC), Mestour Hachim (AC Milan), El Kaddouri Omar (Tornio), Saadane Marwane (FUS), Labyad Zakaria (Vitesse Arnhem), Hamde-Allah Abderrazzaq (Guagzou FC), Chahechouhe Aatif (Sivasspor), Boufal Soufinae (Losc Lile), Iajour Mouhssine (MAT), Chamakh Marouane (Crystal Palace), Batna Mourad (FUS).

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Rabat- Hachim Mastour, AC Milan’s midfielder, has reportedly welcomed his inclusion on the list of players called to play on head coach Badou Ezzaki’s Morocco’s national team, according to Hesport.

Mastour is among the 30 players the Moroccan coach called ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations first qualifying match against Libya, scheduled to take place on June 12 in Agadir, in southern Morocco.

One of Mastour’s relatives told Hesport that the Moroccan young player is ready to play for the Morocco and put an end to the speculation on which national team he would eventually choose.

Since entering the spotlights a few years ago, Italian and Moroccan observers have wondered whether the Moroccan player will play for Italy or Morocco.

It seems that the player has taken his time to reflect on his decision and has learned from the experience of other promising players who faced similar situations in recent years.

According to the same source, Moroccan-Spanish player Mounir Haddadi affected Mastour’s decision. Haddadi decided to play for Spain, only for Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque to leave him off the team after he played his first official match with the Spanish squad.

The other factor that allegedly influenced Mastour’s decision is the fate of several Brazilian players who decided to play for the Italian squad and were sidelined after they played for the first time, killing any hope for them to represent their home country.

The same source added that the Moroccan player is waiting for the Moroccan Football Federation to send a formal request to AC Milan so he can officially declare his intention to play for Morocco.

Mastour became a household name in 2013 after British sports website Footballbettingodds.co.uk named him the world’s top rising stars on a list of 100 rising football players.

The young Moroccan started his career with Reggina before his transfer to AC Milan in 2012 for a world-record teenage transfer, worth 500,000 euros.

The player, who will turn 17 next June, made his debut on AC Milan’s first squad in May 2014.

“He has the quality of Robinho, the professionalism of Kaka, and the natural ability of Ballotelli,” Milan’s former coach Massimiliano Allegri was quoted saying about Mastour.

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Rabat- The Israeli national judo team has decided to travel to Morocco to participate in an international tournament despite recommendations from Israel's national security agency to avoid travelling without bodyguards.

According to i24news, the eleven-member Israeli delegation flew to Morocco on Wednesday to take part in the fifth annual World Judo Masters event May 23-24 in Rabat.

The team decided to attend the sporting event after the Moroccan authorities reportedly promised to assign them security. The event could provide the Israeli judokas with sufficient points to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Moroccan authorities refused to grant permission for an armed Israeli escort to accompany the Israeli delegation, the source added.

Israel’s shin bet security agency advised members of the Israeli delegation to avoid public displays or symbols that can reveal their nationality.

This is not the first time to see an Israeli team participating in a sporting event in Morocco.

In 2010, Israel took part in the 16th World Junior Judo Championships in the city if Agadir.

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Rabat- Hachim Mastour, a Moroccan players who plays with AC Milan, expressed his happiness to be called up by the Badou Ezzaki, head coach of Morocco’s national team, ahead of of the African Cup of Nations first qualifying match against Libya next June 12 in Agadir.

“I am happy to join the Moroccan national team and it is something wonderful, even if I Played for Italy’s U-16 team,” he was quoted by Egypt’s Al Far Riaid as saying.

The Moroccan wonderkid came under the spotlight in recent years thanks to his dribbling ability, drawing the attention of European heavy weights, such as Real Madrid, Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona.

A survey conducted by a British website in 2013 voted Mastour the world’s “most promising rising star.”

According to Tribal Football, Real Madrid have been in touch with Mastour’s agent since last January, while Ajax and Barcelona have been reportedly monitoring his development.

The player, who was included in AC Milan first squad in May 2014 at the age of 15, has been facing knee problems this season.

The Moroccan player appeared in a commercial with Red Bull and Nike where showed off his skills with Brazilian star Neymar.

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Fez - The coastal city will welcome thousands of runners on a 21-kilometer race around the city this Sunday, May 24.

Following the success of Casablanca’s half marathon last year, the Casablanca Athletics League hopes to provide runners with another international marathon set to the streets of Morocco’s largest city.

The athletics association launched the initiative for this race to further develop the sport of running at a regional and national level. The event also aims at promoting running as a means of health, education, social integration and youth development according to the president of the Casablanca Athletics League, Hassan Sniny.

Marathoners from 14 different countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Qatar, Spain and the United States will hit the streets of Casa for this fast-paced footrace. The runners will head out from the starting line near Arab League Park for a course that takes them past some of Casablanca’s main attractions including the old medina, Casablanca Marina, Hassan II Mosque and a jaunt along the Corniche before heading back to Arab League Park for the finish. The race will also include a 10-kilometer route for participants looking to compete at a shorter distance.

Runners interested in taking part can register at the Athletics League headquarters at the Casablancaise or at City Sports outlets. More information can be found online at: www.casaathletics.com

Photo credit: Ligue de Grand Casablanca d'Athlétisme 

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Fez - The 21^st Annual Fes Festival of World Sacred Music will kick off this weekend with a variety of events and concerts that draw thousands of visitors from around the world to Morocco’s spiritual capital every year. The nine-day music festival will provide patrons with a chance to experience the enchantment of curated music concerts while exploring some of the city’s historical venues.

Visitors looking to get a jumpstart on their musical journey can participate in the third edition of the Race to the Rhythm of Sacred Music set for this Saturday May 23. The Fes Saiss Association sponsors the race that will welcome amateur runners as well as some of Morocco’s running superstars and Olympians including Nawal Moutawakkil, Aziz Daouda, Khalid Skah and Hicham El Guerrouj.

The 6.6-kilometer race named ““Course aux Rythmes des Musiques Sacrées,”  will provide runners with a chance to get into the sacred music spirit as they travel through a musical tour of Fes starting at the famous Bab Boujloud gate at the head of the Old Medina. Runners will wind through a looped course throughout the historical parts of Fes and pass by some of the city’s mystical sites, charming gardens and timeworn monuments while enjoying the live performances of Moroccan folk musicians who will be dotted along the twists and turns of the racecourse.

Participants will start the race just outside of Bab Boujoud and make their way past Bab Makina, Bab Meknes, Bab Marrakesh, Jardin Jnan Sbil, and Batha Museum before returning back to Boujloud square for a closing concert just past the finish line.

Participants hoping to take part in the race can register at the Delegation de Jeunesse et de Sport on Rue Chefchaouni.

 Photo credit: Fes Saiss Association

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Rabat - The Moroccan Royal Football Federation (FRMF) said it has received guarantees that AC Milan's wonderkid Hachim Mastour will join the Moroccan national team once his name is included in Badou Ezzaki's official squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Libya on June 12 in Agadir, in southern Morocco.

Mastour, who has already played for the Italian under-16s, has been included in a 30-man roster ahead of the Atlas Lions' first match for the 2017 Afcon qualifiers.

According to Hesport, the Moroccan young player expressed readiness to play for Morocco, his country of origin, despite pressure from the Italian media to choose Italy instead.

A source from the FRMF quoted by Hesport has urged, however, not to jump to conclusions and to avoid making the same mistakes of the past, adding that the head coach and the football federation are expecting Mastour's final decision in the next few days.

In 2013, Mastour was named the world’s top rising stars by British sports website Footballbettingodds.co.uk. The Moroccan Messi, who will turn seventeen next June, drew the attention of European clubs such as Real Madrid, Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona, thanks to his dribbling ability and skills. If he opts for the Atlas Lions instead of the Squadra Azzura, he will add his dribbling skills and pace to Badou Ezzaki's team.

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Rabat  -  World Judo Masters Mohammed VI kicked off, Saturday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex in Rabat, with the participation of top 250 world judo players, including Olympic champions representing sixty countries.

This event, held Saturday and Sunday under the aegis of the International Judo Federation (IJF), is listed in the World Judo Tour and qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The first day of the World Judo Masters featured the first seven categories as the women's -48kg, -52kg, -57kg and 63kg and men's -60kg, -66kg and -73kg categories

"This a very good organization and Morocco put a lot of effort to organize the World Masters. I especially want to thank HM Kind Mohammed VI for His great support", Marius Vizer, IJF President, said at the end of this first day.

"Having the best judo players in the world guarantees to have a very high level of judo and that is what we had all day long. Throughout the preliminary rounds and the final block, we saw a lot of scores and I hope that tomorrow it will be the same", he underlined, adding that the "World Masters are being held in Africa for the first time. It will open many doors to the development of judo in the continent. It is a very good motivation for all the judo players and beyond".

Morocco is the first Arab and African country to organize this meeting. It also hosted several global judo events, notably the World Junior Championships and the Continental Open Casablanca, attracting a large number of international judo players.

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