Khaberni - On Sunday, the Moroccan police arrested 18 Senegalese fans and an Algerian fan suspected of being involved in rioting during the final match of the African Nations Cup between Senegal and Morocco, according to a judicial source on Monday.
The eighteen Senegalese fans were put under provisional custody by order of the public prosecutor at the primary court in Rabat "to be questioned about acts of rioting committed inside the stadium", according to the source who requested anonymity.
The Algerian fan who was also placed under provisional custody is suspected of "inciting rioting".
Just before the end of regular time in the match, which Senegal won against Morocco 1-0, about a thousand Senegalese supporters tried to storm the pitch for about 15 minutes before the security forces and organizers managed to control them with difficulty.
A number of Senegalese fans also threw projectiles towards the pitch, including at least one chair.
A little earlier, the players and their coach had left the pitch in protest against a penalty awarded to Morocco in the final seconds of injury time.
Under intense tension, the fans attempted to storm the pitch while Ibrahim Dias was preparing to take the penalty, which he ultimately missed after the return of the Senegalese players to the pitch, persuaded by their star Sadio Mané.
With the start of the extra halves, Senegal scored the winning goal.
At the beginning of January, the Moroccan prosecution, which had set up offices in all the stadiums hosting the matches, announced the handling of 152 violations from the start of the tournament on December 21 until January 6.
The most frequently recorded violation was entering stadiums or attempting to enter them in an illegal manner with 61 cases, followed by the offense of selling tickets at illegal prices or without a license (19 cases).
