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Rabat – Members of Morocco’s national team of local players have left the Rabat-Sale International Airport, after Algerian authorities failed to issue approval for the Moroccan team to travel to Constantine, where they were scheduled to play their group matches.
The Morocco team was waiting for their flight at the Rabat-Sale International Airport on Friday morning, with all preparations for the trip being completed, pending travel approval from the Algerian government.
President of Morocco’s Royal Football Federation Fouzi Lekjaa had laid out the conditions for the team’s participation back in December, demanding that they be allowed to travel to the northeastern Algerian city of Constantine directly from Rabat on a Royal Air Maroc flight.
The airline is the official transport partner of all national Moroccan football teams.
On Thursday, Lekjaa said that all preparations to travel to Algeria had been made, and that the Moroccan team and technical staff were only awaiting approval from the host country.
Morocco are the defending champions of the tournament, and hold the most titles along with DR Congo.
President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe said on Friday that he did “everything possible” to convince Algerian authorities to allow entry to the Moroccan team.
“It makes me sad. I want Morocco in Algeria. I want these young boys to represent the people of Morocco and the people of Africa,” he told the press while in Rabat.
Lekjaa said the decision to deprive the Moroccan team of the right to defend their title is a “shame.”
Relations between Morocco and Algeria have been strained for decades. Algiers cut ties with Rabat in August 2021, misleadingly citing Rabat’s involvement in the wildfires that consumed Algeria that summer due to climate change.
The Algerian decision to sever ties also involved a ban on Moroccan aircraft entering Algerian airspace.
The CHAN tournament is set to kick off this evening with a game between Algeria and Libya.
