Digital interactions embarrass national team players

A “group” of Moroccan national team players were subjected to harsh criticism by the fans, after monitoring digital interactions that were considered ill-considered on social media platforms.

The crisis erupted after some players placed “likes” on posts by their teammates in the Senegalese national team as they celebrated the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, at a ceremony held yesterday, Saturday, at the “Stade de France” stadium, prior to the friendly match that brought together the Senegal national team and the Peruvian national team, although the legitimacy of this title is still the subject of an international legal dispute.

Pictures circulating on social media revealed the involvement of promising names in this controversy, including Ismail Sibari, Shadi Riad, Samir Al-Mourabit, Elias Ben Saghir, Osama Targhalin and Yassin Kichta.

While some were quick to absorb the anger by deleting the “like” as soon as the criticism escalated, others chose to ignore the uproar and maintain their interactions, which increased the state of tension among Moroccan fans.

The angry reactions did not stop at the limits of criticism, but rather reached the point of demanding that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation impose a strict “communication protocol” on the players.

Many believe that interacting with celebrations of a legal “questionable” title is a kind of disdain for the feelings of the Moroccan fans, and for the sensitivity of the stage, which requires complete solidarity with the official position of the national football team, far from personal friendships that may be misunderstood in this context.