CAF, FRMF give ray of hope to Oukacha Prison inmates
It was an emotion-filled moment when a delegation from CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) visited Oukacha Prison, situated in Oukacha, near Casablanca.
Led by CAF Deputy General Secretary in charge of Technical and Development, Anthony Baffoe, they interacted and offered emotional support to inmates at the prison also known as Ain Sebaa Prison as part of the corporate social responsibility activities lined up for the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) Morocco 2018.
In the company of Baffoe were the three ambassadors for the tournament namely – Noureddine Naybet (Morocco), Adel Chedli (Tunisia) and Robert Kidiaba (DR Congo). It was a great source of joy for the inmates from Morocco, other parts of Africa and beyond, to be around such famous footballers and key personnel related to the organization of the fifth edition of the tournament designed exclusively for footballers playing in their domestic leagues.
With the tournament fever all over the country, the inmates are not left out of the buzz. There is a special tournament going featuring inmates from 11 other African countries plus host Morocco.
“We are here to support them and make them feel a part of the tournament. The fact that they are here doesn’t alienate them from the vibe of the competition. We understand their situation and we want to encourage them to take the positives of life in every circumstance,” Baffoe said.
In a related development, the FMRF signed an agreement with the Moroccan Prison Services to provide various support to prisons across the country. Naybet signed on behalf of FRMF, and Mohamed Saleh Tamek, Head of Administration of Prisons for his outfit.
Technical Director of FRMF, Nasser Largeut, also donated sporting kits to the prisons for use by inmates for the special tournament.
The tournament, a five-a-side format saw Morocco play Nigeria in the opening match, and is expected to run till 30 January 2018.
The special prisons tournament is not limited to only Casablanca, but also in the other match venues – Marrakech, Tangiers and Agadir.