The Moroccan Technical Directorate for Refereeing quickly reacted to the wave of controversy raised by the refereeing performance in the match between Raja Sporting Club and its guest FAR, which took place on Wednesday evening at the Mohammed V Complex in Casablanca, as part of the second round of the professional league.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation announced today, Thursday, through an official statement, a series of disciplinary penalties affecting some referees, after it became clear that their performance did not meet expectations.

The penalties included the suspension of referee Mohsen El-Sourdi, who officiated the classic match, for two matches, in addition to the suspension of VAR referee Abdel Moneim Bessalam for three matches.

The decisions also extended to the referees of the match between Ittihad Tangier and Hassania Agadir (first round), where it was decided to suspend referee Amin El-Maatawi for one match, and Jamal Belbasri, the VAR referee, for two matches.

The Directorate confirmed that these measures come as part of its commitment to improving the quality of refereeing performance and keeping up with the competitive requirements at the national level.

On the other hand, the Royal Army Club expressed its dissatisfaction in an official statement regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed in the classic match, considering that they directly affected the outcome of the game, including: the failure to award a clear penalty in the 45th minute after a handball inside the area, the cancellation of a goal in the 54th minute on the grounds of a handball despite the clear contrary evidence in the front television angles, and the retraction of a penalty in the 68th minute after the intervention of VAR without sufficient footage.