The Algerian media still cannot understand that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is entrusting the organization of the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2025) to Morocco. After the decision of the body concerning the postponement of the continental event to December next year, they have been working for several days to spread false information about the “lack of preparation” of the kingdom.
CAF announced the postponement of the CAN 2025 edition to begin on December 21, and end on January 18, 2026. The event was initially scheduled for June 2025, straddling the new version of the Club World Cup. June 15 to July 13 the same year, in the United States, with the participation of 32 teams.
At the Club World Cup, Africa is represented by the Al-Ahly quartet (Egypt), Wydad de Casablanca (Morocco), Esperance Tunis (Tunisia) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa). Within these formations or in others, many African players will participate, which could disrupt availability for preparation with the national selections for CAN 2025.
Ignoring these elements, the Algerian media have endeavored to link the CAF decision to what they call “the lack of infrastructure preparation in Morocco”. Thus, Echorouk headlined that the CAN would have “lost its value because of the naivety of CAF and the stupidity of Lekjaa”, while suggesting a “control of the Makhzen on the authority of Motsepe”.
In this case, the duck close to the seraglio already predicts that this version of the footballing high mass “risks being the worst in all respects, both organizationally and technically”.
Algerian media ignore CAF statements
In the same sense, the newspaper criticized the method consisting, according to it, of “allocating the holding of the 2025 and 2027 editions of the CAN according to moods, by deliberately minimizing Algeria’s candidacy file, despite the remarkable success of several football events, as described by Motsepe himself.
For its part, the Algeria Now site alleged that this postponement is “unsurprising”. “The whole world knows it, it is the lack of preparation of the host country, Morocco,” estimated the media. In the same vein, Dzair Tube attributed the postponement decision to “the lack of preparation of the organizing country, lack of sports infrastructure, in addition to the economic crisis which is hitting” the kingdom.
Agreeing their violins, the sports programs of the various Algerian channels unanimously attributed the reason for the postponement of the CAN to “Morocco’s lack of preparation to host this football event”. One of the broadcasts even accused CAF of “disregarding all laws and protecting Morocco to allow it to hold the CAN”.
Just a few days ago and contrary to the allegations of the Algerian media, the president of CAF, Patrice Motsepe, said he was confident in the next edition of the CAN, which will be the best in the history of this continental competition, he added.
In a press release following the meeting of the CAF Executive Committee and the announcement of the postponement decision, the manager affirmed that this footballing high mass will be “very successful”. In this regard, he expressed his “gratitude” towards “King Mohammed VI, the government, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the Moroccan people for the welcome given to the 2025 African Cup of Nations, as well as than the 2024 women’s CAN.”
