Late Thursday evening, the Algerian authorities decided to release the body of Ittihad Tangier player Abdellatif Akhrif across the Oujda “pair of mules” land border, after months of detaining the body.
Private sources confirmed to Al-Amq newspaper that the land borders between Morocco and Algeria will be opened to hand over the body of the player Abdel Latif Akhrif to his family, which faced great difficulties in receiving the body of their son due to bureaucratic procedures.
A DNA sample from the player’s parents was sent to the Algerian authorities to compare it with the DNA of the body that was found. After a long wait, on November 28, 2024, the Algerian Consulate General in Casablanca sent a report stating that there was a high probability that the body belonged to the player Abdellatif Akhrif.
The Moroccan Consulate in Oran had sent a copy of the report to the public prosecutor in the city of Oran, along with a request to issue a death certificate and a license to bury the body in Morocco. It has been confirmed that these documents are no longer necessary to complete the procedures for transporting and burying the body according to established traditions.
It is noteworthy that on July 6, 2024, Restinka Beach, on the outskirts of the city of M’diq, witnessed the tragic drowning of Ittihad Tangier player Abdel Latif Akhrif and his friend Salman El Harraq during a recreational trip on a small tourist boat, accompanied by three other people who were later rescued.
On August 8, 2024, the body of player Abdellatif Akhraif was found on the coast of Cap Falcon near Oran, Algeria, which sparked a wave of grief among his family and football followers in Morocco. The family of the deceased confirmed their son’s identity based on the clothes and some other details, while a DNA sample was sent to confirm.
Morocco
