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The ugly incidents in North Africa overshadowed the action on the pitch as African giants contested for semi-final tickets
Authorities in Morocco have opened an investigation after a fan died outside the gates of the Stade Mohammed V before Raja Casablanca’s CA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Al Ahly.
Moroccan media reported that the fan, a 29-year-old woman, died in the crush on Saturday as thousands of fans tried to get into the stadium to watch Raja try to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Egypt.
“Aziz El Badrawy, President of Al-Raja Club Athletic, in his name and on behalf of all members of the club, extends his deepest condolences to the family of the fan, Noura, who passed away before our team’s match against Al-Ahly,” Raja said in a statement.
Meanwhile, another CAF Champions League quarter-final between Esperance and Algeria’s JS Kabylie in Tunis on Saturday was marred by crowd trouble, which caused a 40-minute delay to the second half.
Esperance fans clashed with Tunisian security forces and lit fireworks on the terraces at halftime of the tie at Rades Stadium. Firefighters had to be called out to extinguish several small fires in front of the stands after hell broke lose with a supporter seen with a chain saw in the stadium.
Algerian fans also complained that they had been subjected to unjustified attacks by security forces.
The match ended in a 1-1, draw but Esperance progressed to the semi-finals with a 2-1 aggregate after a 1-0 victory in the first leg and will take on Al Ahly over two legs for a place in the final after the Cairo club held Raja to a 0-0 draw in Casablanca.
Raja’s city rivals Wydad, the reigning champions, will face South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the other semi-final next month.
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