Political tensions around the African Nations Championship for Local Players (CHAN) in Algeria continue. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) denounced, in a press release published this Saturday, the “malicious acts” and the “abject maneuvers” that punctuated the opening ceremony of the competition yesterday Friday.
The FRMF condemned the “provocative and surreal speech which flouted the regulations governing the organization of football events under the aegis of the Confederation of African Football (CAF)”.
The FRMF rejects the racist remarks made by supporters present at the opening ceremony towards the Moroccan public known throughout the world for its civic spirit”, adds the press release, specifying that the Federation sent a correspondence to the CAF which is called upon to “assume all responsibility in the face of these flagrant transgressions which have no connection with the principles and values of the round ball.
The Algerian regime took advantage of the progress of the 7th edition of CHAN on its soil, to make it a political platform to harass Morocco and further aggravate the situation in the region. Present at the opening ceremony of CHAN at the invitation of the Algerian authorities, Zweifel Mandela, grandson of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, openly called for “waging war in Morocco to liberate the Sahara”.
An odious act which comes a few hours after the call of the president of the African Football Confederation (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, not to mix football and politics. The boss of the continental body said he felt “sad” because of Morocco’s absence from CHAN, while Algiers refused to give direct flight authorization to the Royal Air Maroc plane (RAM ). The Algerian power has been closing its airspace in Morocco since September 2021.
