The football world and the sports community in Morocco are in mourning after the sudden death of 24-year-old footballer Faten Ben Omar El Azizi. The young player of the club “Moghreb Athletic de Tanger“ (MAT) was found dead in the Mediterranean Sea after undertaking an extremely dangerous attempt to reach the Spanish territory of Ceuta by swimming across the sea border from the Moroccan coastal city of Fnidek.
According to initial information from local media Al Chamal 24 (inactive link: www.ashamal24.ma), El Azizi's body was found in the water after she got into trouble due to bad weather conditions, rough seas and strong wind currents. The tragic incident comes amid unprecedented pressure on the border, with tens of thousands of migrants attempting to cross into the Spanish enclave in the past few days.
A journalistic investigation by the Morocco World News portal (inactive link: www.moroccoworldnews.com) confirms that Faten Ben Omar comes from a family with deep sporting traditions in the region. She was described by her teammates and coaches as an extremely disciplined, dedicated and hard-working athlete. Those close to the family say that her fate has become a painful symbol of the contemporary crisis faced by many young people in North Africa, who are choosing the deadly risk of illegal migration in search of an alternative future in Europe.
Spanish and Moroccan rescue services are continuing their intensified search operations in the Tarajal region, as the number of victims in the current migration wave already exceeds dozens. An official report, quoted by the BTA news agency (inactive link: www.bta.bg), notes that rough waters and low temperatures make such attempts to swim around the border fences practically fatal without specialized equipment. The death of the young soccer player has sparked a massive wave of condolences and grief on social media from fans, soccer figures, and international human rights organizations.