Football as a Political Totem: How Morocco Trapped Itself

It has now become clear that, for Morocco, football is no longer merely a sport: it has been elevated into a national doctrine, a pillar of identity serving a political narrative. What should have remained the ordinary organization of a continental competition has turned into a politico‑media ritual, where each match must demonstrate a form of symbolic superiority, and every result is interpreted as proof of national prowess.

Within this inflated narrative, football becomes the alpha and the omega:

• an instrument of economic promotion,
• a mask covering social fragilities,
• a diplomatic lever,
• and, above all, a symbolic weapon directed at a neighbor constantly present in the discourse: Algeria, even when it is not involved.

The recent article published by Hespress illustrates this drift with striking clarity. Beneath the surface of sporting celebration, one finds an excessive fixation on Algeria, fueled by anxious anticipation of reactions that, in reality, do not exist. According to this narrative, Algeria is “bewildered,” “stunned,” or even “obsessed” with an event that Algerians do not consider vital in the slightest.

The Fantasized Algeria: A Media Construction

The Algeria allegedly “shocked” by Morocco’s hosting of the tournament exists only in the imagination of certain newsrooms.

Neither the public, nor the institutions, nor the Algerian media, nor even the supporters express any such “astonishment.”

If Algeria appears in these narratives, it is only to lend weight to a Moroccan discourse struggling to stand on its own.

The Convenient Opponent: A Manufactured Endorsement

As in any propagandistic construction, a “credible witness” is required.

Thus, an Algerian dissident is suddenly elevated to expert status in sports organization and in deciphering the collective Algerian psyche.

Whatever his actual competence, his purpose is singular: to validate a pre‑established narrative.

When football becomes the ultimate argument, analysis fades and gives way to theatrical staging.

“Moroccophobia”: A Pure Mechanism of Projection

The concept of “Moroccophobia” has no political‑science foundation; it is a case of psychological projection.

While Algerians are accused of obsession, it is Moroccan media that exhibit the most obsessive behavior:

• invoking Algeria in every paragraph,
• transforming every sporting event into a political message,
• constantly seeking imaginary Algerian approval.

The issue is not Algerian rejection; it is a Moroccan fixation disguised as grievance, repeated and adorned with media rhetoric.

The Unspoken Truth: Algeria’s Form Is Cause for Concern

What the Moroccan narrative scrupulously avoids mentioning is the essential point:

the strong performance of the Algerian national team is generating real anxiety.

In a country where football forms a central axis of national pride, one scenario is particularly frightening:

👉 An Algerian victory… on Moroccan soil.

Such an outcome would constitute:

• a symbolic shock,
• a narrative defeat,
• and a potential source of social tension in a context where politics has engulfed sport.

The more sport is politicized, the more explosive it becomes.

The more media dramatization intensifies, the less controllable the sporting outcome becomes.

Morocco Trapped by Its Own Dramaturgy

By turning every match into a decisive event, Morocco has cornered itself:

• victory has become a political obligation,
• defeat threatens social stability,
• and an Algerian triumph would be an explosive scenario.

What was intended as a display of strength has become an admission of fragility.

Algeria Plays, Morocco Overreacts

Meanwhile, Algeria does what it knows how to do: play.

Without frenzy, without propaganda, without transforming football into a state dogma.

With a strong, disciplined, and experienced squad accustomed to major tournaments.

And it is precisely this that irritates the opponent: a successful team that requires no media exaggeration to assert itself.

Conclusion: When Football Becomes a Political Symbol

Any nation can host a continental competition without elevating it to a national creed.

But when football becomes the alpha and omega of the national narrative, used to compensate for the void of public debate or to hide structural weaknesses, it ceases to be sport and becomes an implicit confession of vulnerability.

Algeria is not the one caught in this trap.

It is Morocco, trapped in its own media theater, now facing a simple truth:

when football becomes a political symbol, the mere act of playing becomes a source of inward fear.

---

By Belgacem Merbah

---