Algeria fears provocations, in particular the use of a map of Morocco including the Sahara by the public, and it will undoubtedly not shy away from it.
According to the Algerian mediaAlgeria Observatorya boycott of the competition by Algeria cannot be ruled out if politics takes precedence over sports. A disaster scenario for Riyad Mahrez’s Fennecs, already qualified and favorites for the title. Several meetings of Algerian teams in Morocco have already been canceled, with the visiting teams having withdrawn at the last moment.
To read: Morocco wins the battle against Algeria
But a boycott of CAN 2025 would be a risky bet for Algeria. The Algerian Football Federation would face sanctions from FIFA, which could go as far as exclusion from the 2026 World Cup, a competition in which Algeria wishes to participate and show the rebirth of its football.
Last April, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) imposed heavy sanctions on it due to the cancellation of the first leg of the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup between the Moroccan club Renaissance de Berkane and Union Sportive. from the Medina of Algiers, Sunday April 21, 2024, because of the jersey containing a map of the kingdom incorporating the Sahara.
At the end of the same month, Algeria called on the International Olympic Committee to block the way “for any importation of political conflicts into the Olympic sports arena”. Without mentioning the Sahara, Algeria did not hesitate to cancel football and handball matches between Moroccan and Algerian players.
Morocco
