Morocco Football team escape coup

Morocco’s national football team were able to leave Guinea late on Sunday, a Moroccan official said, after army putschists said they had staged a coup in the west African country.

Scheduled to face Guinea in a Monday qualifier for the 2022 World Cup, the Moroccans “have embarked and are on their way to Morocco”, Mohamed Makrouf of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation told AFP.

He earlier said the team were “safe” in a Conakry hotel and the federation was preparing to evacuate the players.

Achraf Hakimi, a right winger who also plays for Paris Saint Germain wrote in his twitter, “Thank you all for the messages and the support, it has been a very intense day but thank God we are safe and sound in Morocco. Good night”

In a statement, world football body FIFA said the match would be postponed “to ensure the safety and security of all players and to protect all match officials”. – TBP