BBC Reporter Ripped For Asking Moroccan Player ‘Dangerous’ Question At Women’s World Cup

Getty Image

There are plenty of sports fans who’d prefer to avoid seeing their favorite pastimes tainted by politics, but in many cases, there’s only so much you can do to not acknowledge issues that are inextricably linked with certain events.

That was the case when the World Cup was held in Qatar in 2022, as the country’s puritanical view on alcohol was nothing compared to its lackluster stance on human rights and the thousands of migrant workers who were believed to have died while working on the many infrastructure projects that made the tournament possible in the first place.

Thankfully, Australia and New Zealand didn’t have to worry about that kind of controversy casting a shadow over the Women’s World Cup, which officially kicked off last week to usher in a month of soccer that will conclude when the championship match is held at Sydney Olympic Stadium on August 20th.

While the event promises plenty of drama on the pitch, we’ve also been treated to a bit of it off the field thanks to what transpired at a recent press conference featuring Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak.

Prior to Morocco’s World Cup opener against Germany on Monday, Chebbak fielded a question from a BBC reporter who used the media session as an excuse to attempt to discuss the forward’s home country’s firm stance against homosexuality, asking, “In Morocco, it’s illegal to have a gay relationship. Do you have any gay players in your squad and what’s life like for them in Morocco?”

According to CNN, a moderator stepped in to tell the reporter Chebbak had no obligation to address what they described as a “very political question,” which ultimately went unanswered despite the latter’s protests.

Anyone convicted of engaging in same-sex activity in Morocco can be sentenced to up to five years in prison, and based on the possible ramifications (both legal and social) players on the team would face if they admitted to being gay, it’s pretty baffling the reporter thought Chebbak would be eager to offer a candid response.

The outlet reports a number of other journalists admonished their peer for floating the question in the first place, and the BBC quickly apologized in a statement that reads “We recognize that the question was inappropriate. We had no intention to cause any harm or distress.”