ALGERIAN PATRIOTS - ENGLISH

AFCON 2025 will remain one of the most controversial editions in the recent history of African football — not for its spectacle, but for the blatant inequality in the treatment of participants: an Algeria heavily sanctioned, and a host nation, Morocco, consistently spared. The facts are clear, documented, and stubborn: CAF chose its target. 1. Algeria hit with exemplary — and disproportionate — sanctions Following the Algeria–Nigeria quarter-final on January 10, 2026, CAF imposed an unprecedented avalanche of penalties on the Algerian Football Federation: Luca Zidane suspended for two matches (AFCON 2027 qualifiers) Rafik Belghali suspended for four matches , including two with a suspended ban Total fines of around 100,000 USD , including: multiple yellow cards (5,000 USD), inappropriate behaviour by players and officials (25,000 USD), use of flares (5,000 USD), throwing objects (5,000 USD), security breaches (10,000 USD), offensive gestures by supporters (50,000 USD). Such cumul...

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations , hosted by Morocco at the cost of billions, was supposed to mark the kingdom’s definitive entry into the circle of major global sporting powers. Instead, it will be remembered as one of the most controversial editions—not for its level of play, but for what it revealed: the exposure of an institutionalized cheating system, planned long in advance, executed behind the scenes of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and ultimately thwarted on the field by what many have called, not without irony, a form of poetic justice. Morocco’s defeat in the final against Senegal (1–0, on January 18, 2026) does not erase the scandal; it sheds light on it. A CAN under suspicion from the first whistle Throughout the tournament, the Moroccan team benefited from refereeing decisions that were unanimously contested. From the group stage match against Mali, then against Tanzania in the round of 16 and Cameroon in the quarterfinals, clear penalties against Morocco we...

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...

On the occasion of the Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco , the media discourse close to the Moroccan authorities witnessed a clear escalation, characterized by fabricated narratives, staged media scenes, and a series of provocations against Algeria . This strategy—aimed at politically exploiting a sporting event—reveals a fragile social and political backdrop that the authorities are visibly attempting to conceal and divert public attention away from. Unacceptable Provocations In addition to speeches and media narratives, this tournament was marked by two widely discussed incidents: In several Moroccan cities , Algerian flags were displayed upside down , turning what should have been a simple protocol gesture into a highly symbolic message. In an already sensitive political context, this act was interpreted as a deliberate provocation directed at Algeria. During the opening ceremony, the Algerian flag was the only flag that was not visible (the camera angle did not allow our nati...

African football has witnessed its fair share of controversies, but rarely has there been a debacle as blatant as the one surrounding the organization of  AFCON 2025 . A series of biased decisions, flagrant favoritism, and glaring contradictions have turned this edition into a  shameful mockery , exposing the  deep rot within the Confederation of African Football (CAF) . First,  Guinea was stripped of its hosting rights  under the pretext that its stadiums would not be ready— three years before the tournament ! Then,  Algeria, with six fully operational world-class stadiums, was inexplicably sidelined in favor of Morocco , which still required major infrastructure work. And in the most absurd twist of all, the tournament was later  postponed by an entire year because Morocco itself was not ready!  And now,  the tournament draw has taken place while the stadiums remain unfinished! How can such blatant incompetence be justified? This is not jus...