In Casablanca, the migration crisis centred on Spain’s North African enclaves has moved from the border into the stands. Supporters of Wydad Athletic Club displayed a political message during their weekend fixture at the Mohamed V Stadium, as debate over Ceuta and Melilla continued on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Quick facts
- Wydad Athletic Club hosted Widad Temara at Casablanca’s Mohamed V Stadium.
- A Wydad supporters’ banner referred to Ceuta and Melilla in Spanish.
- The message stated that Morocco and its people would not give up on the two cities.
- Widad Temara won the match 3-1.
- Maghreb Fez supporters had made a similar display less than a month earlier.
The banner, raised behind one of the goals, read: “For Ceuta and Melilla, Morocco does not surrender, nor do its people.” It came amid continuing attention in Spain and Morocco on the migrant situation affecting Ceuta since late July.
Football has increasingly become a visible setting for expressions of support and territorial claims linked to the two Spanish autonomous cities. In Spain, several clubs have entered the field wearing shirts backing the people of Ceuta.
One such gesture drew criticism when Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius and Ibrahima Konaté obscured part of the phrase “We are all caballas”, using the local nickname associated with Ceuta.
Across the border, the Casablanca display followed a previous message from Maghreb Fez fans. Their banner described Ceuta and Melilla as “two cities, one homeland: Morocco”.
On the pitch, Wydad’s home occasion ended in disappointment. Widad Temara left the Mohamed V Stadium with a 3-1 victory, while the crowd’s banner ensured the wider political context remained part of the afternoon.
