After his promising World Cup with the Atlas Lions, but also in the wake of his marriage on Friday, attacking midfielder Zakaria Aboukhlal (22) would have done well without such controversy. This one is indeed accused by the Arabic-speaking media Achkayan “apology for Salafism” and “religious proselytism”, in an article entitled “Aboukhlal, a Salafist in the national team”.
According to this site, he would have “tried to recruit players to his cause”, and would have “appeared on several occasions with people affiliated with a European Salafist movement”. The one who notably distinguished himself in Qatar by scoring during the first exploit against Belgium (2-0) was supported on Sunday by the Moroccan federation, which published a press release to denounce “false accusations”.
“False, unfounded and degrading accusations”
Emphasizing “the exemplary behavior” of the player, the FRMF specifies that it will use “all remedies in order to protect the members of the national team”. Zakaria Aboukhlal’s club, the Toulouse Football Club, also reacted on Monday to “ensure all its support and confidence” in its player, who arrived from Alkmaar (Netherlands) last summer.
“The club condemns the accusations made by a site, false, unfounded and degrading, which damage the image of our player”, specifies the management of Toulouse on social networks. Here too, the TFC is considering legal proceedings in order to “defend the integrity of Zakaria”.