Follow the latest updates on the Morocco earthquake
The Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Gambia and Congo will go ahead as planned in Marrakesh on Sunday, officials said, despite an earthquake claiming more than 2,000 lives.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck late on Friday, 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of the Moroccan city that Gambia are using as a home venue because they lack an international stadium.
Another final-round qualifier, between qualified Morocco and eliminated Liberia on Saturday in Agadir, a coastal city 260km southwest of Marrakesh, was postponed.
According to the most recent figures on Sunday morning, the Interior Ministry said 2,012 people were dead and 2,059 injured, including 1,404 in critical condition.
Congolese and Gambian officials told AFP that the delegations slept outside their hotels in Marrakech.
"We expected the game to be postponed given the circumstances. Our hotel has been partly damaged," said the Gambian official.
The Congolese said: "It is hard to concentrate on a football match, crucial thought it is, after so many people died not far from here."
Gambia need one point to qualify for the January 13-February 11 Afcon as Group G runners-up behind Mali while Congo must win to finish runners-up.
Gambia will be the third west African country after Niger and Burkina Faso to play at the 45,000-seat Grand stade de Marrakesh within four days because of inadequate venues at home.
The deadly quake overshadowed seven qualifiers on Saturday with Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mauritania swelling the number of Ivory Coast-bound teams to 21.
However, Morocco will have to wait to play their final group game after Saturday's postponement.
In a Group K that had already been reduced to three teams and four matches – following Zimbabwe's suspension from Fifa – Morocco are assured of their place in the tournament, although a victory or draw against Liberia would see them qualify as group winners.
"CAF has agreed to postpone the match between Morocco and Liberia following the earthquake in Morocco," the African Football Confederation said on Saturday. "CAF will announce a new date and details regarding the match in due course.
"CAF expresses its condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, the Federation Royale de Football and the people of Morocco.
"There will be a moment of silence before the start of all [Afcon] matches on Saturday 9 September and Sunday 10 September 2023 to acknowledge and honour the people who lost their lives during the tragedy in Morocco."
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Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
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All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
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