The BBC has apologised after one of its reporters asked Morocco’s football captain an “inappropriate” question about her team's sexuality.
In Morocco, acts between members of the same sex, referred to as “sexual deviancy”, are punishable with up to three years in prison, according to Human Rights Watch.
With that in mind, a BBC reporter asked what we imagine was a very dangerous question indeed before the team played their World Cup match against Germany on Monday.
“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?” the BBC reporter asked.
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In response to the question, Ghizlane Chebbak winced, removed her earpiece and looked to her coach, Reynald Pedros, before laughing. A Fifa official interjected: “Sorry, this is a very political question,” and asked the reporter to stick to questions relating to football.
“No, it’s not political, it’s about people,” the reporter replied. “Please let her answer the question.”
On Tuesday, a BBC spokesperson said: “We recognise that the question was inappropriate. We had no intention to cause any harm or distress.”
Morocco’s debut at the tournament made it the first Arab and North African team to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. They lost to Germany 6-0 but have a chance to redeem themselves in their next two group games against South Korea and Germany respectively.
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