CAF Lifts Suspensions on Moroccan Players Boufal and Chakla Ahead of World Cup Qualifiers

After their defeat in the quarter-finals of the 2021 CAN in Cameroon against Egypt, central defender Soufian Chakla and striker Sofiane Boufal were given a two-match suspension. The FRMF decided to appeal this decision and eventually prevailed. There is a strong chance that they will be on Vahid Halilhodzic’s list for the 2022 World Cup play-offs against the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 25 and 29, in Kinshasa and then in Casablanca.

"The Appeal Commission of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to cancel the sanction of suspending the two Moroccan internationals Soufiane Boufal and Soufiane Chakla. The lifting of this sanction follows the appeal filed by the FRMF regarding this suspension imposed on the two players following the events that marred the Morocco-Egypt match counting for the quarter-finals of the CAN Cameroon 2021," reads the FRMF statement.

In addition to the two-match suspension, CAF had also imposed a $10,000 fine on the FRMF for the unidentified aggressors of the incident and issued a reprimand to the Moroccan officials present for their unsportsmanlike conduct.