The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has announced that proceeds from the upcoming friendly match with Burkina Faso would be allocated to support victims of the devastating earthquake that struck several regions in Morocco, killing over 2,800 people.
The friendly match is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at the Estadio Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens, France, and all gate takings including sponsorship money will be handed over to a trust fund set up by the government to aid the quake victims.
The FRMF, in a statement, said it would “donate the match proceeds, which come mainly from the Moroccan diaspora, to the special fund that Moroccan authorities established to manage the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.”
The gesture is part of the national team’s effort to assist, after players and officials had, on Monday, donated blood to victims of the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region, including the tourism city of Marrakech on Friday night, leaving a trail of destruction in communities in various parts of the country.
Other provinces and municipalities affected by the earthquake include Taroudant, Chichaoua, and Ouarzazate, among others.
Latest data from the Moroccan Ministry of Interior indicates that the death toll has reached more than 2,800 deaths, with more that 2,560 injured.
The international community including the US, the UK, India, Spain, and Egypt, has also been forthcoming, offering aid and assistance to help Morocco cope with the aftermath of the disaster.