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Join on Telegram Rabat – Raja Casablanca (RCA) football fans have responded to anti-Morocco remarks made by Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zwelivelile Mandela during the opening ceremony of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria.
On Tuesday, Raja Casablanca football fans used a giant banner during a match against MC Oujda to respond to Mandela’s grandson’s remarks, which caused a political row in the African football world.
The banner reads: “Little Mandela, the only colony left in Africa is Orania.”
Orania is a town with a population of 2,500 Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French Huguenots that arrived in South Africa in the 17th century.
Located along the Orange River in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape province, Orania is also known as “South Africa’s white-only town.”
Raja Casablanca’s football fans’ response came following anti-Moroccan remarks made by Zwelivelile Mandela and Algerian football fans during the CHAN opening ceremony.
Addressing the public in a televised speech, Mandela’s grandson challenged Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara.
“The last colony of Africa, Western Sahara. Let us fight to free Western Sahara from oppression,” Zwelivelile stated.
The remarks sparked uproar, with many inside and outside Morocco accusing Algeria’s regime of politicizing sports.
In response, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said that it will investigate the political statements as well as the events that occurred during the opening ceremony of CHAN.
“The political statements are not the statements of CAF and do not reflect the views or opinions of CAF as a politically neutral organization,” CAF said in a press release.
The opening ceremony also marked controversial and racist chants against Morocco.
Some Algerian football fans chanted slogans such as “give him the banana, Moroccans are animals.”
Many Moroccan organizations and legal bodies responded to the racist remarks, stressing their decision to take action.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) denounced Algeria’s smearing of Morocco, stressing that the behavior of Algerian fans and the opening ceremony reflect “vile practices,” “absurd maneuvers,” and a “flagrant violation of the laws governing football events.”
