CHAN 2023: CAF takes note of the withdrawal of Morocco, double defending champion
CAF President Patrice Motsepe during his press conference on the eve of CHAN 2023. © Pierre René-Worms
Text by: Ndiasse Sambe Follow
3 mins
Unless there is an unlikely reversal of the situation, Morocco, double reigning champion, will not defend its trophy at CHAN 2023 organized in Algeria.
CAF formalized, in a half-word, the non-participation of the Atlas Lions, this Thursday, January 12 in Algiers, during a press conference by President Patrice Motsepe.
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From our special correspondent in Algiers
It was a sword of Damocles for a few days on the head of CHAN, and unless there is an ubiquitous reversal of the situation - always possible with CAF -, Morocco will not participate in the 7th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) organized in Algeria.
It's the epilogue (or not) of a long game of cat and mouse, of
politico-diplomatic calculations
and media releases and announcements that have never been talked about so much about CHAN.
“
The complications were there before…”
Thursday on the eve of the Algeria-Libya opening match, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) almost confirmed Morocco's withdrawal, despite the care taken with the words not to speak officially of withdrawal, boycott or exclusion.
“
We have seen the press release from the Federation of Morocco.
What we can say is that countries are sovereign and that we have a responsibility,
recalls Patrice Motsepe.
We have tried in recent days to speak with each party (…) The complications were there before I became president (…) Politics should not get involved in football, and our commitment is to promote football.
This tournament will be played and continue and decisions will be made according to the rules that govern CAF
.
»
A little earlier in the morning, Morocco, through its football federation, had hinted, without using the word, of its intention to boycott the competition and the players initially summoned for the CHAN were again suspended. layout of their club.
"
The Moroccan football selection is unable to travel to Constantine (Algeria) insofar as the final authorization for its Royal Air Maroc (RAM) flight, official carrier of the Moroccan football selections, from Rabat to Constantine has not been confirmed
,” the Moroccan Federation (FRMF) announced in a statement.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), organizer of CHAN, had nevertheless informed the FRMF on December 22 that
“, According to the press release.
24 hours before kick-off, the Moroccan Federation "
takes note with regret that obtaining the final authorization for the RAM flight from Rabat to Constantine has unfortunately still not been confirmed by CAF
", underlined the FRMF.
What is Morocco at risk?
Algiers has since September 22, 2021 closed its airspace to all Moroccan civil and military aircraft after breaking diplomatic relations with Rabat.
This serious crisis is fueled by the thorny issue of Western Sahara, in a context of permanent tensions between the two enemy brothers.
The CHAN will not have made it possible to bring the two Maghreb countries closer together.
This decision of Morocco will certainly have consequences and may be worth a suspension to the local team for the next deadlines.
President Motsepe did not want to address the issue of possible sanctions talking about complying with CAF and Fiafa rules”
One certainty: Morocco, which is also in the race to obtain the organization of the CAN 2025, could see its candidacy have lead in the wing after this withdrawal.
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CHAN 2022
Morocco
Algeria
Diplomacy