Moroccan youth handball players vanish during Poland tournament, sparking investigation

Thursday 03 July 2025 - 09:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Moroccan youth handball players vanish during Poland tournament, sparking investigation

Five young Moroccan handball players disappeared from their team headquarters during an Under-19 tournament held in Poland in late June, raising serious concerns among officials and prompting a formal investigation.

The Moroccan National Authority for Fighting Corruption in Sports described the incident as a “sporting and diplomatic scandal.” They urged the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports to investigate allegations of “internal collusion” that may have facilitated the players’ escape. Authorities have identified a man in his 30s, who traveled with the delegation, as a potential accomplice linked to illegal migration networks.

This incident follows a similar case involving two players from Morocco’s Under-21 national handball team, Oussama Hakaoui and Moubarak Messaoudi, who disappeared during a stopover in Bologna, Italy, before the team reached Poland for the World Championship held in late June. Both players have been unreachable since their disappearance.

The Moroccan Handball Federation has faced mounting criticism for failing to adequately supervise athletes during international tournaments. Officials and analysts fear that sporting events are increasingly being exploited as a gateway to illegal migration.

These recent disappearances echo past incidents. In 2022, three members of Morocco’s national amputee football team vanished during the Amp Futbol Cup in Poland. Earlier that year, eight Moroccan minors fled during the World School Championship in Slovakia.

Anti-corruption officials have called for an urgent investigation into all cases, emphasizing the need to address systemic vulnerabilities that may enable such occurrences.