The Morocco Football Federation (FRMF) have moved to deny allegations suggesting that the country was involved in bribery, paying a FIFA executive to swing the host nation vote in their favour for the 1998 World Cup.

That World Cup was eventually awarded to France, but according to allegations in US court documents from prosecutors, Morocco paid a bribe to a FIFA executive, Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, as one of the bidding nations to host the tournament.

This all forms part of a US investigation into corruption at the football’s international governing body, while Swiss investigators are busy with their own criminal inquest into the 2018 and 2022 host bids, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Bribery allegations surfaced last month as part of a detailed indictment from US Attorney General Loretta Lynch regarding South Africa’s successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup, with the 160-page indictment referencing the payment of a $10million bribe requested by FIFA officials at the time.

This followed the arrest of 14 FIFA officials and marketing executives, as a result of a the US criminal investigation on the basis of corruption charges worth an alleged $150m.

The indictment suggests that Warner, a FIFA vice president at the time and a representative of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), solicited a bribe of some $10m from the South African government and the host bid committee. It is the same person who was involved in the most recent allegations involving the North Africans.

The Moroccan authorities have responded to the allegations with a brief official statement denying any part in bribery involving the 1998 event.

“Morocco denies categorically these slanderous accusations against the officials of the country’s organising committee of the 1998 World Cup,” a statement from Morocco’s Football Federation revealed, according to state news agency MAP.

“Regarding its efforts … Morocco deserved better treatment instead of tendentious and unfounded rumours,” it added.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced his resignation due to the corruption scandal at the beginning of the month, four days after he was re-elected to head the controversial governing body for another term.