BBC apologises for intrusive question put to Morocco Women’s team captain
A reporter working for the BBC World Service asked Ghizlane Chebbak if they “have any gay players in the squad”. The Morocco captain was visibly taken aback and politely declined to respond.
Sports press conferences sometimes feel like landing in a mysterious, parallel universe. Maybe it’s the pressure to get a soundbite, a headline, a different angle, please a demanding editor... but it’s the place where you will hear the most bizarre questions - sometimes completely unrelated to the event or the person in the hot seat.
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This week, Morocco’s Women’s team made history by making their first appearance at a World Cup and team captain Ghizlane Chebbak, the national team’s all-time top scorer, captain and most-capped player, was elected to preview the game alongside coach Reynald Pedros. Both the captain and coach looked at each other in disbelief after a reporter directed an invasive question at Chebbak.
The journalist asked, in English: “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?” Obviously not expecting such a personal question, Chebbak looked a bewildered before a FIFA media officer stepped in: “I’m sorry, this is a very political question, so we’ll just stick to questions related to football please”.
The journalist, who is believed to be working for the BBC’s World Service, can then be heard protesting: “It’s not political. No, no, no. It’s about people. It’s got nothing to do with politics. Please let her answer the question”.
The BBC has since issued an apology: “We recognize that the question was inappropriate. We had no intention to cause any harm or distress,” a spokesman said on Tuesday.
It turned out to be a baptism of fire for the Atlas Lionesses in their World Cup debut. Facing two-time winners and one of the powerhouses of the women’s game, Germany, Morocco couldn’t have had a tougher start and were beaten 6-0 in Melbourne. They will be hoping to turn things around in their next match, against Korea Republic on Sunday.