Lekjaa Criticizes Refereeing After Under-17 Team's Elimination

Fawzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, directed clear criticism at the refereeing team that officiated the Moroccan under-17 national team's match against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Youth World Cup, due to the errors that occurred during the game and sparked widespread controversy.

Lekjaa's statement came on the sidelines of the international symposium held this morning, Tuesday, at the Mohammed VI Football Center, under the title: "Sports as a Lever to Promote Human Rights: What Impact Does It Have on Societies?"

Lekjaa explained that "estimation errors are still possible despite all the efforts made," indicating that arbitration, despite technological advancements and improvements, still experiences controversial cases.

The match ended with the Moroccan national team losing 2-1 to Brazil in a game that featured controversial refereeing moments, most notably the winning Brazilian goal, which was preceded by a suspected handball, sparking widespread protests from Moroccan fans and tournament followers.

Despite the elimination, many followers praised the performance of the "Young Lions" in the competition, while Lekjaa called for the continued development of the refereeing system to ensure greater fairness in international competitions.