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Morocco on high alert as football continues amid Covid-19 threat

Tuesday September 15 2020
atle_pix

Morocco Raja Casablanca's supporters celebrate during a past match.

By AGENCIES

With the threat of coronavirus still lurking, Moroccan football has continued to engage health authorities in the North African country in an effort to ensure the ongoing 2019-20 is completed.

Domestic football resumed two months ago in Morocco after the Covid-19-enforced halt, but not without signing a memorandum of understanding between the Moroccan Royal Football Federation (FRMF) and the kingdom’s Ministry of Health.

According to the agreement, several health measures were addressed before action resumed at the end of July.

The measures would see to it that players, technical staff, fans as well as members of the public in general adhered to health and safety protocols to minimise the risk of spreading the disease.

“The decreasing of Covid-19 related risks would be possible only if all concerned parties adhered to the measures taken,” read the agreement.

All stakeholders involved in match-day situations were called upon to adhere to the measures: players, technical and administrative staff, referees, a section of fans, and the general public.

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In addition, Covid-19 tests may be conducted during the games or in the build-up.  

A physical routine that includes obligatory temperature tests surrounding matches is one initiative football in Morocco has undertaken to help in the fight against coronavirus.

All clubs in Moroccan will also have to take part in regular detection through the RT-PCR test once every two weeks. The results will determine the participation of players for the remainder of the season.

Those who return positive results will be assisted by the FRMF and the countries’ national health authorities.

According to the FRMF, matches will be postponed “if a threshold of above six players test positive.”

In the two top flight league matches played on Sunday, second-placed RS Barkane failed to put pressure on leaders Raja Casablanca after battling to a 1-1 draw away to Ittihad Tanger. Barkane have 41 points from 23 matches, four behind Raja who have also played the same number of matches.

African giants Wydad Casablanca are third, also on 41 points, but with a game in hand.

FUS Rabat were also held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Raja Beni Mellal in the other match played on Sunday.

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