Marouane Meftah, the 20-year-old actor best known for his role as Zakaria (Komtgoed) in the hit series Mocro Maffia, has been arrested following his involvement in a violent altercation at an amateur football match. The incident took place on Saturday afternoon, February 2, 2024, after the match between the Amsterdam club SDZ1 and Amstelveen Heemraad concluded.
Witnesses reported the match began peacefully, but tension escalated dramatically after SDZ1, which had been leading 2-0 at halftime, ended up losing 3-2. According to Ruud Schekermans, one spectator present during the game noted, “After SDZ gave up their 2-0 lead, tensions escalated.”
The altercation reportedly started when the SDZ1 goalkeeper was verbally taunted. Following what seems to be heated exchanges, the keeper confronted the men allegedly responsible, leading to violence before the match was completely wrapped up. Eyewitness accounts describe the scene as chaotic, with one anonymous observer commenting, “The goalkeeper was completely dizzy and could no longer walk.”
The fracas intensified quickly as the three men allegedly jumped the fence and attacked the keeper on the field, where one was reported to have struck him with a helmet. Just as the situation seemed to spiral out of control, players from both teams intervened to separate the fighters. Despite their efforts, the attackers fled the scene before the police arrived to manage the aftermath.
After the incident, Meftah of Mocro Maffia self-reported to the police, and authorities took him immediately following the confrontation. It is claimed by both his management and police sources he remains under investigation. The actor’s management later issued statements asserting, “Marouane only defended himself during this attack.” They alleged, contrary to media portrayals, Meftah did not initiate the violence; instead, they claimed, “It was the complainant who delivered the first blow.”
His management also indicated Meftah is considering filing charges against the individuals involved, and they confirmed, “There are camera recordings secured by the police, and the investigation is still running.”
The incident has raised concerns within the local football community, with officials from Amstelveen Heemraad expressing their dismay at the violence. The club echoed sentiments shared by many, stating, “Violence has no place in football, and we find it deeply troubling for any player to be attacked this way.” They extended support to the SDZ goalkeeper, underscoring solidarity among the teams involved, saying, “Our thoughts are fully with the goalkeeper of SDZ, who had to face this unexpected and unacceptable violence.”
Moving forward, the amateur football community remains committed to eliminating violent behavior. Both clubs are cooperating fully with the police investigation, providing all relevant footage to assist the inquiry. Overall, players and management hope such incidents do not mar the spirit of sportsmanship inherent to the game.
With more details expected to emerge from the police investigation, both football clubs, students, and local fans are left to contemplate the extent of this unfortunate encounter and how to best prevent potential future outbreaks of violence within the sport.