(SenePlus) – The controversial decision to award the hosting rights of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) to Morocco continues to stir up emotions beyond the football fields. Unveiled in an article published in Libération by journalists Pierre Boitel and Antoine Galindo, this disputed decision by the African Football Confederation (CAF) is fueling continental passions. It highlights two major geopolitical dynamics: the growing fear of Moroccan dominance and Algeria’s ambush strategy ready to capitalize on any opportunity.
In Morocco, the trophy win did not spark popular euphoria, with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation justifying its move as simply “following the rules”. However, many observers believe this victory is part of a much broader plan. Historian Yvan Gastaut pointed out in Libération that Rabat’s goal is clearly to “strengthen its international influence, not just in football.”
This relentless pursuit of leadership, which is set to culminate in the co-organization of the 2030 World Cup, inevitably triggers tensions. It feeds what Jean-Baptiste Guégan, a specialist in sports geopolitics, calls the “narrative of Moroccan dominance.” According to him, social media fuel a “highly conspiratorial and plot-based fantasy” portraying Morocco as an actor capable of dictating terms to the CAF leadership.
However, the expert nuances this view: while the country has undoubtedly become a sporting power capable of defending its interests, its real power “does not extend beyond influence.” The fact that the initial winner was downgraded on appeal, not in the first instance, dismisses the idea of absolute control by the Moroccan federation over the organization’s mechanisms.
Faced with this controversy that threatens to tarnish Morocco’s image in sub-Saharan Africa, Algeria is watching closely. Morocco’s main Maghreb rival could emerge as a major collateral beneficiary of this institutional seismic shift.
As noted by Jean-Baptiste Guégan in the columns of the French daily, Algeria is currently making a structured comeback in continental sports diplomacy. With four recently renovated or newly built stadiums meeting FIFA standards, the country now has all the cards to host a CAN at short notice. Since diplomacy is fundamentally “the art of being opportunistic,” the expert warns that it would be quite logical to see Algeria capitalize on this scandal. Seizing the ongoing diplomatic crisis would be a golden opportunity for Algeria to “strike where it hurts, just to destabilize its Moroccan counterpart.”
