Moroccan police have now issued a statement after a woman was denied entry to an African Football League match on the weekend.
Moroccan authorities have denied reports that security officials at the first leg of the AFL semi-final between Wydad Casablanca and Esperance de Tunis on Sunday refused to allow a woman to enter the Mohammed V Sports Complex stadium due to her carrying a keffiyeh, according to Morocco World News.
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The checkered black and white scarf is said to be a symbol of support for Palestine, who are currently caught in a devastating conflict with Israel.
The woman in question made headlines for the incident after she recorded a live video of her exchange with the security official at the entrance of the stadium.
In the video, which has since gone viral in Casablanca, she can be heard saying: "What's the problem if I am bearing a keffiyeh? I want to know what's wrong with that."
The security guard responded by telling her that he is only implementing instructions given to him by his superiors.
However, Moroccan police have since denied, via a statement, that the woman was prohibited from entering the venue due to her keffiyeh, stating that she was denied entry because she tried entering via a zone designated for journalists only.
"She was prevented by the private security team accredited by the continental football authority due to her failure to present an ID, professional card, or a ticket allowing her entry to the stadium," the statement read.
The statement adds that judicial police officers intervened to "enforce public order and uphold the law without depriving the individual in question of her rights or restricting her freedom to carry any scarf or distinctive symbol of an Arab country".
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Wydad hold a narrow 1-0 lead over Esperance heading into the second leg of their semi-final in Tunisia on Wednesday.
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