Arab Cup: Why did Morocco arrive late at the stadium? The details revealed

02.12.25 FT Arab Cup

Morocco

3

:

Comoros

1

An official source within the organizing committee of the 2025 Arab Cup, held in Qatar, revealed that the late arrival of the Moroccan A’ team at Khalifa International Stadium, ahead of their match against Comoros on Tuesday, was caused by an unexpected administrative incident.

Loudani and Tissoudali at the center of the Lions' bus blockade

According to the information provided, the issue involved two players officially listed: Marouane Loudani and Tarik Tissoudali. Both had entered Qatari territory with tourist visas instead of the official access permit delivered through the “ Hayya ” app.

As explained by the host of Al Majlis on Al Kass channels, the administrative staff was caught off guard when the two players were denied entry to the stadium, resulting in the team bus being held up for nearly 40 minutes before kickoff.

The organizing committee had to intervene urgently to resolve the situation. The players were immediately taken to secure the necessary authorizations before being allowed to join their teammates inside the stadium.

Despite this disruptive episode and the confusion it caused right before the match, the Moroccan team responded brilliantly, defeating Comoros 3-1 in their opening fixture of the Arab Cup Qatar 2025.

CAN 2025 - Group A: Morocco preview, squad and fixture list

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

Related teams and leagues

Morocco

Comoros

Arab Cup