A reporter with the British Broadcasting Corporation put Morocco women’s team captain Ghizlane Chebbak on the spot with an irresponsible ‘political’ question ahead of a crucial match against their South Korean counterparts in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The reporter began with a nod to the fact that having a gay relationship is presently illegal in Morocco.
He then went on to quiz Chebbak if she shared the dressing room with any gay players and proceeded to enquire about their lives in their homeland if so.
Chebbak shook her head, seemingly in disbelief, after the question was posed and proceeded to remove her earpiece.
BBC reporter starts by saying gay relationships are illegal in Morocco, then asks Morocco captain Chebbak if there are any gay players on her team (which would out them & risk their arrest). Just astonishing irresponsibility. Check Chebbak’s reaction. https://t.co/AD0722y5He
— Christian Christensen (@ChrChristensen) July 25, 2023
A member of the support staff associated with the Lionesses of Atlas politely intervened to say that the 32-year-old would only take questions that related to football and none concerning politics.
The reporter continued to force the issue insisting that the Moroccan skipper answer claiming that the question had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with people.
To this, Chebbak responded with yet another shake of the head, a wry smile, and complete silence before appearing to turn her attention to another question posed by a different reporter.
Morocco, making their debut in the World Cup this year, were hammered 6-0 by Germany to leave them at the bottom of Group H and in need of positive results in their remaining two group games.
In the other fixture of the group, South Korea lost by a 2-0 score-line to Colombia.
Nothing short of a win will do for either side when they meet in Adelaide as they look to stay alive in the competition and inch closer to booking a slot in the knock-out stage.
With the law’s stance in Morocco firm and clear, it boggles the mind that such a question would be posed to the national team captain, particularly with a do-or-die fixture on the horizon.
It is unclear what the reporter intended to achieve by broaching that subject but any answer from Chebbak could have potentially risked the safety of the entire squad.
With that in mind, it does little to improve the image of the BBC as an organization if they resort to such tactics in stark contrast to their mission statement.
Chebbak, with the help of the team’s support staff, managed to steer clear of a potential landmine elegantly, acting as befits a captain.
