BBC apologizes for asking Morocco soccer captain if teammates are lesbians

British broadcaster BBC apologized Tuesday after one of its reporters asked the captain of Morocco’s Women’s World Cup team whether any of her soccer teammates are lesbians.

“In Morocco, it’s illegal to have a gay relationship,” the journalist asked player Ghizlane Chebbak at a news conference Sunday. “Do you have any gay players in your squad, and what’s life like for them in Morocco?”

Morocco is one of at least 67 countries where same-sex intimacy is criminalized, according to Human Rights Watch. Moroccans who violate the law could face six months to three years in prison, according to the international advocacy group.

Chebbak grimaced and removed her earpiece in response to the question before turning to her coach and laughing. An official of FIFA, the international soccer governing body, interjected before Chebbak could respond, saying the question was “political” and instructing reporters to “stick to questions relating to football.”